The Worldwide issue of Ego

 

The textbook definition of Ego is a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. We all have ego inside us. It is an important part of every individual’s personality as it is the driving force for a person’s success. Egos can be a force of good or a perpetrator of disaster. Having an inflated ego can create chaos between your peers and can become a hindrance to your coworkers too. Instead of becoming a stepping stone, you become an obstacle in the way of your team. Unstoppable ego in a person is a headache for others around them. We must learn to control our ego, for our sakes as well as for others. Ego and pride are two different things. While ego is more about how the person views themselves, pride is all about how a person feels about their achievements and such.

Human beings are God’s greatest creations. We have superiority over every other being on this planet yet we are the weakest when it comes to battle with our self. Our sense of worth is so important these days that it automatically ruins relationships and the peace. In this competitive age, nobody is willing to accept defeat like a human. Our sense of humanity has diminished as competition and the urge to be better than the rest increased. While it is a good thing to engage in a healthy competition or try to be better, there is an invisible line that most people cross in their race. That line is called humanity.

 Real-time scenarios of people with inflated ego can be found amidst relatives in the Asian competitive society that we are all familiar with. The daughter is pitted against her cousin through a competitive exam with both their respective parents, pressuring their children to come above the other due to rivalry between the parents. Spending crores of rupees on the child to get a medical degree just to show off to the relatives, impulsively acquiring money so as to not look weaker in the eyes of neighbors or relatives etc. these scenarios are mostly what people have seen growing up. These situations create a chaotic and toxic environment for the children and start a chain of unhappiness and conflict. There is no peace except a great fire of competitiveness and narcissism consuming humanity. What are we, animals?

To accept defeat is to be humane and true to the delicate morals that keep a society sane.  People who are always open to suggestions, who willingly hear others opinions, who take criticism with maturity are the ones who have a strong hold of their ego. They are empathetic and patient and exude a welcoming aura around them. The opposite of these people are those who have an inferiority complex and never accept their faults. They believe that they are in the right and get triggered when they are opposed which is a sign of a weak ego. These kind of people exude venom that rivals that of every poisonous creature known to mankind.  

Signs of weak ego:

• · Won’t say no: when somebody goes a roundabout way to prove a point that is clearly wrong and has been countered by people I wish to fling my bag at their face. Take time to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand why you might be wrong. We are humans and making mistakes is a part of our destiny. Even if you are 100% convinced that you are right, it’s not going to kill you to offer an ear as to why you may be wrong. 

• · Won’t accept others opinion: again, no human is perfect enough to offer a straight-laced, world-hunger ending advice. The world has been built over a collective effort. Steve jobs didn’t create Apple all by his lonesome. He was the mastermind but he had a team too.

• · Won’t let anybody speak: talking over someone to prove yourself and not giving a precious few seconds to even listen to the poor soul is not a good thing. I will throw my keyboard at cry if you do this to me ego

• · Will never accept their faults even after an eternity has passed: once eternity is over, you will have no choice but to accept that same fault but this time, it won’t be in front of one person. It will be in front of God and all the seven billion people, angels and jinns. Save your precious deeds by just saying these three simple words, “sorry, my bad”. I said that after I lost a gold earring, knocked my front tooth and after I nearly stabbed myself with a toothpick on my lip. I feel totally great and not a loser. Surely your faults aren’t as big as these?

The strong will built over an inferiority complex will act as an obstacle towards your goal. No doubt, being a little self-centered will get you a long way rather than being too self-sacrificial, however, unwillingness to cooperate with others and be open to suggestions is definitely a no-no.

To be the person who exercises a strong ego, you must be open to change. You must accept your faults and analyses them. Don’t be quick to jump to conclusions. Think about how a person might feel if you criticize them bluntly.

If someone showed you something or expressed their opinion, you shouldn’t start your dialogue with a ‘No’. Try saying:

“True, but what if we *talk about what you think*”.

“That looks good, try adding a little bit of *so and so* to even it out”

Don’t even try to look amusing by being “lol u suck”. I may not laugh but you will never know how you hurt a person’s feeling. Criticism isn’t taken lightly by everybody. You are a lucky person to have found people who don’t hold a grudge against you when you criticized them.

 The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) built a nation out of nothing while enduring a constant backlash from the people around him who refused to accept Islam. He was constantly ridiculed by his closest people.The Prophet lost his dear wife and uncle, who had stood by his side from the very beginning, in the same year. He buried six of his children in his lifetime yet he was humble, kind and cherished those around him. He is the mercy of mankind.

What reason do we have to be so egoistic?

Note: I am back!! I had a pathetic slump over the past few weeks, unable to complete my drafts as they kept piling up while also having no spark of creativity. I also had my university classes so I was a mess. Thankfully, I am back from my slumber and will hopefully keep posting more.

Thank you for your patience and please let me know your reviews in the comments!