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What Is The Ego?
By Elizabeth Penning

Ego comes from the Latin word meaning "I am," or "self." It refers to an awareness of your personal identity. The American Heritage Dictionary defines ego as “sense of the self, especially as distinct from the rest of the world and other selves.” Ego is the aspect of your mind that is in touch with both your internal and external realities and can direct your thought and behavior to fulfill your needs.

Ego also refers to a sense of pride you have in yourself, or self- esteem. It is the relationship between you and the rest of the world. It is in knowing where you stand, what your capabilities are, your contribution, and your worth. The ego is the name for the process of relating your inner gifts to the outer arenas where you exercise those gifts.

There are many imbalances in relationships. Many women are extremely humble and always undervalue themselves. They have very low self-worth. On the other hand, "Egotism" is a sense of self-esteem that is way out of proportion in the other direction, an exaggerated sense of your own importance.

However, one person's egotism is different from one person's natural and healthy pride, and you can tell the difference only over the long run. The irony is that most people who appear to have too much ego are actually quite insecure and have low self worth. They have not yet developed a realistic self-esteem. They want to be out in the world, but because they are shy or feel inadequate, they pump themselves up and put on a protective shell.

In some circumstances the process of ego denigration has an appropriate place. An important part of joining some groups is to have your ego "reduced," or "broken down.” When you join the military or a convent, you are given a different image, other than your old image of yourself. And as a part of the group, you are a new being in a new world of possibilities.

The process of ego-bashing is also used in twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. If you are a slave to alcohol, drugs, an eating disorder, or any other addictions, going through this process of ego denigration can save your life. If your sense of self is one where you endanger yourself or others, or spent yours and your family's money on drugs, then you did need to die to that self and be reborn, and the steps of recovery have led to amazing results.

Author Details:
Elizabeth Penning, copywriter for various web sites writing articles about natural health and other related subjects for sites such as the A-Z of and Information Junkie.

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