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# Ego
- URL: https://www.dropsofdharma.com/ego/
- Published: 2013-08-03T14:04:35.000Z
- Updated: 2019-04-02T08:47:50.000Z
- Author: Timothy
- Tags: Buddhism, awareness, compassion, happy, Individual I, negative, philosophy, teacher, test, wisdom, #wordpress, #Import 2025-06-01 12:12

Ego is not being egotistical or selfish; Ego is when your consciousness takes its Individual I as the main purpose for its existence, which every life does.

When your take your Individual I too seriously and are careless towards others – to the point that you will cheat or hurt other life forms – that’s the moment that Ego becomes egotistical or selfish. Before it reaches this stage, Ego is neither good nor bad.

Ego is only bad when your intention, thinking, speaking, and action are full of negative awareness, such as greed, hate, and stupidity. To prevent bad Ego, begin with trying to control your actions, since directly controlling the intention is the most difficult discipline. Of course, having the ability to directly purify your intention in a positive way is the best situation.

There are also different angles to look at Ego. Because our Individual I will not last eternally, Ego is an illusion, a trick. But for high consciousness which are able to see through the trick, the view of Ego becomes a test or even a teacher.