Short story: An ego can be both good, or bad, for us.
@innertalks (21979)
Australia
August 4, 2023 1:22am CST
A bookseller had a book that he loved, and he often read it in his store, until another man came in, and asked him what he was reading, and the man showed this man his book, and the man asked him if he could buy it from him.
The bookseller said,
"Well, every book is for sale,"
and so, he sold it to him.
He immediately regretted his doing of this though, as he never did see another copy of this book again, and he had loved reading the short teaching anecdotes in that book.
He particularly remembered one such tale about a man, who was a boxer.
He dedicated himself to this art, and rose quickly up the ranks, until he was the World Champion, in his weight division.
In his first title defence, he was beaten soundly though, and he didn't understand why he lost this fight.
He immediately retired from boxing, and never fought again.
This man had a big ego on the way up, which he had to live by, but when he had reached the top, he had no ego to fight for, or to fight for him, and so he never had a reason to fight, and lost.
An ego can serve a fighter then, if it energises him to fight, with all his might. It can drive one to succeed.
Contrary to the opinion of some people then, our ego has both positive, and negative traits, about it.
An ego can give us a strong sense of who we are, but it can also exaggeratee this sense of who we are, by telling us we are something that we are not too.
Our ego can motivate us, if truth is not lost along the way then.
On the other hand, ego, fueled by pride, is not good either.
The Bible points this out to us, in this verse:
Habakkuk, chapter 2, verse 4:
“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith."
If our soul, is right within us, our ego will serve us, not destroy us.
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
Our ego can serve us.
5 people like this
5 responses
@crossbones27 (49525)
• Mojave, California
4 Aug 23
Confident not cocky, I could do with out either to be honest. I like just being me with no judgement. Life is hard and no reason for people to be even confident. Life will prove you wrong or who is boss every time and its not me or you meaning everyone. 
3 people like this
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
4 Aug 23
Well, we do need some motivator to get us out of bed in the morning, or to do anything much really.
Confidence at least gives people some type of hope, that they can do something, so they at least start doing it.
Confidence is perhaps overrated, though, as the person doing their duty, and living their own purpose, needs no confidence to do it, which like you said, might just make them cocky in the doing of it too.
Ignorance mixed with confidence is a bad mix indeed, though, and leads to many a disaster too.
3 people like this
@crossbones27 (49525)
• Mojave, California
4 Aug 23
@innertalks I agree confident people are motivating just do not fake sell me. I hate that crap. I like people who just comfortable in their skin and go I am doing it and feel free to do your own thing too. Good point though brother, I think its the fake people that just ruin it for me.
3 people like this
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
4 Aug 23
@crossbones27 I do not like fake enthusiasm too, which often masquerades as a false confidence too.
I prefer humble, honest people too, rather than the fake, who says he can do it, but really cannot, promising the moon, but never delivering.
3 people like this
@stapllotik (1933)
• India
4 Aug 23
Ego is a flaw that is as difficult to change as one's nature. Just as blood flows through the veins, in the same way, the flood of ego keeps flowing throughout life.
3 people like this
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
4 Aug 23
Flaw seems to be a big word to use here though, given that God created us, based on himself, and so there is nothing flawed in us, that we have not used the wrong way, so we have caused any flaw in ourselves, ourselves.
We should not allow our ego to run us though, on its own, as we need input from all parts of ourselves, to run optimally, our mind, our soul, our heart, our body, our emotions, our personality, and our ego too.
@stapllotik (1933)
• India
4 Aug 23
@innertalks When a person's pride becomes excessive, one cannot know what all evil deeds he can commit. Hence, the word "flaw" is used.
3 people like this
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
4 Aug 23
@stapllotik Yes, thanks.
I get your meaning now.
Our ego can become a big flaw for us, if our pride takes us over, and runs our boat for us.
I was thinking that you meant that the ego that we are born with is already a flaw. It only becomes a flaw, when we allow it to do so, and then it really floors us in our lives.
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
4 Aug 23
Yes, self-esteem, and self-confidence can be fueled by an ego, sitting right within us too, but when an ego overswells with its own importance, we lose most of the good traits within us, as everything is being used to just feed our indulgent ego, even more.
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
5 Aug 23
Yes, pride is the result of an inflated ego sometimes, and is the negative side of our ego.
Perhaps, a quiet confidence in ourselves, and a humble satisfaction in our connection to God, might be the positive side of our ego, in that we are radiantly joyful to be serving God in our lives.
Others can see God shining out from us, as a tower of strength, and love, built by God within us to live from.
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
5 Aug 23
Pride, if it turns into an arrogant smugness, and an excessive self-indulgence, or narcissism, is abusing the natural feeling of satisfaction, that the good type of pride, or ego, can create in one, who remains humble in their achievements too.
@innertalks (21979)
• Australia
6 Aug 23
@Shiva49 Yes, not many remain humble after a big success. It usually swells up their head, as well as their wallet.
@Shiva49 (26715)
• Singapore
5 Aug 23
@innertalks Pride riding on success tends to go to one's head.
They become obnoxious in no time.
1 person likes this
