What is the Opposite of Ego?

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   Jazztizzposted 15 years ago

   I found a list regarding the negative things our "Ego" does.  I went looking for the opposite of "ego" and found the term, "sacred self" -- perfect!  I created a new list showing a more upbeat way of looking at it.
   
   Ego vs. Sacred Self
   
   Ego is any instant gratification.
   Our sacred self knows how to delay gratification.
   
   Ego tells the same adverse story over and over.
   Our sacred self finds lessons in others' stories.
   
   Ego judges others for their faults or flaws.
   Our sacred self judges no one.
   
   Ego envies others for their successes.
   Our sacred self rejoices with the success of others and feels their joy fully.
   
   Ego justifies not going to the gym because it "worked hard all week."
   Our sacred self honors the promises we made to ourselves, despite being tired.
   
   Ego has a be right/prove a point.
   Our sacred self is not attached to any point of view and can always see another viewpoint.
   
   Ego loses momentum because it is not �seeing� the results it wants immediately.
   Our sacred self is patient and knows there is a season for everything.
   
   Ego treats people with disrespect.
   Our sacred self treats people as beloved members of our human family and part of the divine.
   
   Ego seeks to get love and acceptance.
   Our sacred self seeks to give love and acceptance.
   
   Ego is self-centered.
   Our sacred self is God- and other-centered.
   
   Ego is threatened by growth.
   Our sacred self relishes change and new experiences.
   
   Ego has to get even.
   Our sacred self knows to let it go.
   
   Ego does not like losing.
   Our sacred self is happy with the outcome, win or lose, and the lesson in every experience.
   
   Ego likes to fight.
   Our sacred self loves to heal.
   
   Ego thinks everyone is talking about it.
   Our sacred self trusts in the good of all people.
   
   Ego is a victim.
   Our sacred self values the lesson in every experience, even those that cause us harm.
   
   Ego makes excuses for anything and everything.
   Our sacred self takes responsibility for our own actions.
   
   Ego lives in the past.
   Our sacred self lives in the present and visualizes our beautiful future.
   
   Ego tries to manipulate a relationship with God.
   Our sacred self cherishes a relationship with God.
   
   Ego emotionalizes everything, no rationality.
   Our sacred self lets go of attachment, and the emotions it brings.
   
   Ego loves resentments.
   Our sacred self lets go of all resentment, and the emotions it brings.
   
   Ego fears of anything that can be feared.
   Our sacred self trusts all that can be trusted.
   
   Ego focuses on getting lean.
   Our sacred self focuses on getting �clean" -- body, mind and spirit.
   
   Ego loves intimidation.
   Our sacred self loves compassion.
   
   Ego loves to hide.
   Our sacred self is open and available.
   
   Ego blames.
   Our sacred self takes responsibility.
   
   Ego is reactive.
   Our sacred self is proactive.
   
   Ego loves comfort zones.
   Our sacred self loves frontiers.
   
   Ego loves vanity.
   Our sacred self forgets self in service and love of others.
   
   Ego seeks environments that support all of the above.
   Our sacred self seeks new horizons and knows that growth can often be painful, and that Transformation can often be the most uncomfortable feeling in the world.
      
   
     Just ask the caterpillar just before his wings burst forth.

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      cosetteposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      this is better than the Ten Commandments, no doubt.

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         Jazztizzposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         That's quite a compliment!  Not sure it's deserved but I do appreciate it.  Thank you!

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         TurnKey Inventposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         JUST JOINED VERY NICE AND VERY LONG. EGO V FAITH BUT WHAT YOU WROTE FITS THE EQUATION

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      Daniel Carterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Totally faboo, this!
      Very cool. Thanks, ever so.
      
      Opposite of ego (when I can calm it down those few fleeting times) is also an awareness that I'm not alone in the universe, and I have a place in it. Don't know what that means, just know how it feels.

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      Vladimir Uhriposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Great writing.
      I think opposite of ego is human spirit.
      But it just me.

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         EnglishOpiumEaterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Our sacred self forgets self in service and love of others.
         
         Ego seeks environments that support all of the above.
         Our sacred self seeks new horizons and knows that growth can often be painful, and that Transformation can often be the most uncomfortable feeling in the world.
            
         
           Just ask the caterpillar just before his wings burst forth.
         
         
         
         WHERE IS THIS TALKING CATERPILLAR OF WHICH YOU SPEAK! - I must be more inclusive and start to take animals and plants input more;) - at least I think they have satisfied super egos where their egos would be in a state of fear if they realised what man has done to the earth but it would have to be capable of understanding the whole concept so it then could feel sanctimonious with its SUPER EGO while as I say such an animal as it would have to understand the concept, its EGO would at the same time be afraid of the impending disaster.

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      Madame Xposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Bliss

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      sripoonamposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      opposite of ego is belongingness

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      HowardBThinameposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      The opposite of ego - is death.

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      Arish Van Jaralesposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I needed the fourth one, thanks, it helps.

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      Lady_Eposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Just humility.

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      Dipali Ingleposted 4 years agoin reply to this

      Credulous appearance

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   PirateGirlposted 15 years ago

   That was good, you should have posted it as a short Hub !

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   Jazztizzposted 15 years ago

   Thanks for your comment.  I'm new at this and thought I had. Oops!  Oh well -- I'll learn.

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      PirateGirlposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Just cut and paste it, I like it, its a good read !

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   Mishaposted 15 years ago

   The opposite of ego is another ego

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      atomswifeyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      LOL I liked that misha!
      

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      Jazztizzposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Ah very true!

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   Crazdwriterposted 15 years ago

   I agree with PirateGirl. that'll make a great first hub. Oh and welcome to hubpages!

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      Jazztizzposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, and thanks for the welcome.   Is there any way I can change this to a hub?

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   PirateGirlposted 15 years ago

   Type " what is the opposite of ego " into Google and this is ranked 5th on the 1st page, the power of Hubpages, I am impressed !
   
   If you had it as a hub it would get the traffic.

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      Jazztizzposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Wow! I'll do that. I have a lot to learn. Thank you.

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   zadrobiposted 15 years ago

   Excellent post! I thoroughly enjoyed it. NOW turn it into a hub! haha

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   I*n*v*i*c*t*u*sposted 15 years ago

   This is an awesome post!! I hope you copy/paste it into a hub as suggested! Thank you so for sharing!

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   \Brenda Scullyposted 15 years ago

   yes should have been a hub

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    Lady_Eposted 15 years ago

    I enjoyed reading this. Lovely.
    
    As posted, it would make a nice Hub - Just cut, paste and add a Photie.
    
    I read your first Hub - Sacred Journey.  Short and Sweet.

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    Tom Cornettposted 15 years ago

    Great work....I loved it! 

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    TToni9posted 15 years ago

    Before reading this I thought the opposite of ego is self-loathing.
    Humility is another opposite.  How 'bout shame?
    I understand ego as 'self-preservational' so sacrifice/sacred self is perfect.  TToni9/Pauline

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    Rik Ravadoposted 15 years ago

    This is excellent stuff Tizz - I agree with others that it could be the basis of an interesting Hub - well done!

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    tksenseiposted 15 years ago

    Oge

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       Mishaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       LOL

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    ninahposted 15 years ago

    this would make a great article - thanks for sharing

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    coyjayposted 15 years ago

    The Fourth Way teaches that the opposite of ego is Essence.
    
    coyjay

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    wavegirl22posted 15 years ago

    E-veryone
    
    G-ots
    
    O-ne

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    EnglishOpiumEaterposted 15 years ago

    Ego makes up the human psyche with the 'Id' - the animalistic side of our selves which we some times lose control of eg anger "Monsters in the id" and the 'Super Ego' which is in fact the thing that everyone is describing very poetically under the misnomer 'Ego'. The 'Ego' is how our subconscious reacts, it is our brains "default setting "if you like - which why pop psychology uses it as a catch-all phrase to describe peoples MORAL CODE. Peace. dam iI thought it must be 4:20 by now!

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    atomswifeyposted 15 years ago

    opposite of ego is humbleness
    being humble enough to realize we are but specks in the dust of the universe and God was there to gather up the particles and mold us into the creation we are.

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       EnglishOpiumEaterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       To be humble or to show humility is to be modest the opposite would be gregarious or a gregarious show off; the persons ego could still be 'damaged' but hidden (and often is) by a boisterous demeanour (tears of a clown etc)

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    ralwusposted 15 years ago

    I think of ego as pride, the opposite would be humility. i like your definitions better though.*edit* too late, someone beat me to it

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    EYEAM4ANARCHYposted 15 years ago

    A Yugo.

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       rebekahELLEposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       
       
       brilliant!

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    ralwusposted 15 years ago

    A Yugo. ROFLMAO

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    pgrundyposted 15 years ago

    The ego doesn't have an opposite. It's like your computer keyboard and screen. It could seem like the screen and the keyboard ARE the computer but they're just the surface interface.
    
    The ego is like a computer screen and keyboard that becomes self-aware and starts thinking it's the whole internet.
    
    But there's no opposite. You still need the keyboard and screen, it's just not worth much without everything else. It's the visible part of a much bigger, much more complicated system.

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       ralwusposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       One could relate it also to the carburetor on a 4 stroke engine too, but the governor/humility controls it. One can control ego with humility. I think the keyboard can be controlled also with our mind.

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          pgrundyposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I agree. It's worth learning to discipline the mind, but too I think the ego gets beat up sometimes unnecessarily. We all need an ego--we just don't want to let it run the show!

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    sannyasinmanposted 15 years ago

    The ego, or lower self has certain characteristics. For example: jealousy, pettiness, greed, selfishness, competitiveness, vanity, spitefulness, separation, hate, and there are many more.
    
    The Higher Self has other characteristics. For example: generosity, forgiveness, compassion, selflessness, love, peace, joy, cooperation, unity, understanding, and there are many more.
    
    In answer to your question, these are more or less opposites, I suppose -  opposite sides of the same coin.

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    kollegefriendposted 15 years ago

    Ego is part of your character

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    sannyasinmanposted 15 years ago

    "Enlightenment is your egos biggest disappointment" - Paramahansa Yogananda

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       Madame Xposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Jai Shri Yogananda Namaha

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          sannyasinmanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          Namaste.

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    philip carey 61posted 15 years ago

    I think the opposite of ego is enlightenment, as far as these mind-bodies go. I won't go on with my views, but read anything online by "Nisargadatta" for some powerful thoughts on this.

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    Zelkiiroposted 10 years ago

    Both "id" and "superego" are pretty good opposites for "ego." The id represents a lack of self-awareness--our "lizard brain," if you will--and is not concerned with any vanity or pride. The superego represents a hyperactive self-awareness--our "morality center," if you will--and is concerned chiefly with others.

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    brok0deposted 8 years ago

    Ego in the sense of modern psychology is the human ability to perceive their objective reality. The opposite of the ego would be the absence of the ego, which would be a lack of perceived reality. This essentially means that reality, as humans know it, wouldn't exist.

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       Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       I think spiritual would the opposite to ego self and ego group.

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    Jakub Antoniewiczposted 6 years ago

    How could a "self" (sacred or not) be an opposite of ego, especially when "self" in my opinion belongs, right besides the "I", to common, intuitive definitions for ego. If really looking for differences, maybe one might say that "self" is a reason for ego, but that's quite a far-fetched idea. This seems actually a vocabulary plot now;), so from my point of view what you compared were concepts I would tag "ego" and "awareness". Awareness simply being this that looks through our eyes and listens through our ears, etc. - this notion of continuity of experiences, a smouldering understanding of phenomena that the "I" (self, ego), when it's already nicely developed,utilizes to declare: the reality and of course - the self (I, you, he/she/it). Awareness is also always there, unless there is a malfunctioning of the brain;) it never leaves and is always the same - either you were having time of your life at the age of 5 or are suffering psychological trauma in your 60s. One can check that by just moving to some memories - it's like you're there, you would react differently now, wiser;) but the feeling of participation is the same, or like from your dreams. And I guess awareness is often the last connection for assessing a dream has occured and not a memory.
    So I guess this rant;) leads me to stating that ego needs and likes/dislikes while the awareness just don't (as you also noted in your text). The self, or even awareness, are not even inverse to ego, not mentioning being opposite. The opposite side to ego is just non-self.
    
    As brok0de answered: "Ego in the sense of modern psychology is the human ability to perceive their objective reality. The opposite of the ego would be the absence of the ego, which would be a lack of perceived reality. This essentially means that reality, as humans know it, wouldn't exist."
    - not sure why brok0de didn't stick to integrity of already nicely submitted information, but "perceived" is not even synonymous to "objective". What is perceived is perceived, and the lack of ego would be a lack of objective reality. Besides that I agree completely with this answer. That is, with the understanding I developed this far..)
    Acceptance, I think this is the key.

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       Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       0ne thing for sure: robots don't have egos.
       Robots are never arrogant.
       Robots never have a sense of pride.
       They do not feel shame, confidence or guilt.
       They cannot love, they cannot hate ...
       They will never feel horny.
       They will never have the urge to create something amazing.
       They will not paint a masterpiece, sculpt a beautiful statue,
       make a beautiful vase.
       They will never care about what they look like.
       They will never dream.
       
       Only people with egos do those things.
       Yay for people.

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       Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

       Jakub is closer to that I can imagine of what is opposite of ego.
       
       Ego - awareness of our senses and a hunger to know. Not so negative as someone idea of their personal God would be. More of a yin and yang of the 99℅ unknowns spiritual side vs. the ego self or ego group 1%  knowledge of the world we live in and far beyond,.... the Universe.
       
       If God or the personal image of God has all the answers. We would of stop exploring the earth and except it is flat like lead to believe in the Bible, or God planted dinosaur bones as a joke. Or our Originates of our own specie's   all came from a book. Not even Pope Francis believes that,  as he cancelled hell, so man would be too influence or hypnotized by fear.
       
       Ego and spiritual is all connected as one, not separated by any one over ego group God.

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          Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

          … wait, God planted dinosaur bones as a joke????
          - not funny

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             Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

             Up to Darwin's time, mid 1800s. Most people thought these dinosaur bones were dragons, which were written in the Babble, I mean the Bible.
             Many creationist today, still believe they are dragons.

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                Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                … because the Bible said so. Well, dinosaur bones are amazing. They are like bird bones: hollow, yet they look just like our bones! Same proportions and shapes. I think dinosaurs were predecessors to us, blueprint wise.

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                   Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                   Dinosaurs to birds, yes.
                   The theory is more likely humans came from possums like creatures, a 100 millions years ago. Small mammal were force to live underground for Survival form large dinosaurs.
                   
                   Or God is a frog. Many people claim Aliens are similar looking to amphibians. A real lack of evidence there.

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                   wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                   Not sure if mammals broke off from the Trilobite line before dinosaurs, but it could well be that early dinosaurs are our ancestors.
                   
                   It is also quite possible that that "blueprint" was in place before the split, giving us both the same very basic form.

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                      Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                      Possible.

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                      Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                      …. or maybe not. We'll never know for sure.

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                      lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                      Mammals started evolving from synapsids, reptile like creatures, 2-300 million years ago. Nothing to do with trillobites.

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                         wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                         Not real educated on the very first life, but weren't Trilobites were one of the earliest if not the earliest (outside of microscopic) life forms?
                         
                         Which pretty much means that everything came from them.  A long time and many steps, but they were an ancestor.

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                            lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                            The phylogenic tree from the Cambrian is unknown. They are sure land animals evolved from fish, but don't know what fish evolved from, or what trilobites evolved from, or which evolved first(or even if they are of the same lineage. Personally, I think both fish and trilobites evolved from some bilateral worm like creature.

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                               wildernessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                               I thought fish came long after trilobites.  They existed at the same time (I thought) but the first to appear was trilobites by a large chunk of time.

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                                  lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                  They both appeared around the same time during the Cambrian explosion. Most phyla that exist today evolved at this time(a "short" period of time, about 35 million years, maybe less)

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                                  lovetherainposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambrian_ … brian_life

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                            Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                            I built a sandsculpture of 2000 tons. of a 500 million years evolutionary display at Ohio State fair.
                            
                            Started from creatures from the sea like jellyfish and trilobites. They crawled then walked from amphibians. Evolved to dinosaurs and mammal hiding in the cracks on earth. Do monkeys seem more like mammals or Dinosaurs?

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                               Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                               All these animals had the same thing in common with the human animal. They Are their weakest young, to unsure the survival of their species.

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                                  Castlepalomaposted 6 years agoin reply to this

                                  Dam auto delete.
                                  They ate their weakest young.

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    Perhaps enlightenment requires an ego.
    Maybe God is one Big Ego.
    Supposedly, the opposite of Ego is Bliss.
    
    I just don't get it.

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    what if you spend your whole life tying to become enlightened only to realize at the end how much time you ...
    WASTED!

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    For instance: At Whole Foods Market they took away certain things I loved to eat. Fortunately, I indulged in those things all the time. What if I had been all disciplined, refusing to buy or eat those delicious treats only to find that those things I loved so much were No Longer Available!
    
    How disappointed I would have forever been!!!
    
    My list of things now gone:
    
    Amazaki rice milk, all flavors
    Carob almonds
    Mochi, all types
    Rice Dream (frozen chocolate/carob covered ice cream sandwiches,) all flavors
    Rice Dream, (rice based Ice Cream), all flavors
    
    
    
    Luckily, I have my happy memories.
    

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    Kathryn L Hillposted 6 years ago

    What if God asks you at the end of your life what you did for fun ...
    and You said,
    "God, I sat around meditating on you!"
    "Was it fun?" God would ask.
    You would explain, "Well, no not really. Actually ... meditating on You was pretty boring."
    Then, God would shake his head in great pity.
    He would say:
    "Why do you think I created such a beautiful world? And you did not even bother to enjoy it?"
    You, of course, would know that He, in His infinite wisdom, was right.
    
    And you'd remember all the things you had wanted to do, all the places you wanted to go, the plays you wanted to write or pictures you wanted to paint, books you wanted to write, or photos you wanted to publish, to name just a few of the multitude of ways you could have shared the beauty of the world in your own unique way.
    A tear would drop onto your cheek ...
    
    And God would simile and in his great mercy, say, "There there … There's always next time."
    Thank Goodness for God!

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    Tony L Smithposted 5 years ago

    Really enjoyed that. I like separating things sometimes, it makes it clearer to see. I could see what my ego was doing as I read through this. Thanks

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    Castlepalomaposted 5 years ago

    For me the opposite of ego is Spirit. Spirit is that 99% unknown, until part of get manifest into our eco self.

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    Anna Woodsposted 4 years ago

    Ego is your sense of self, I don't think it has an opposite at all. People can have all sorts of egos.

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       Castlepalomaposted 4 years agoin reply to this

       If self awareness is Ego self, it has everything to do with one self, or possible intimate soul of one self .
       Outside of self, is the unknowns.
       
       About 99% of the worlds earth mass has been untouched by humans beings.
       That's anything 6km. beneath the surface of the 1% surface mass of the earth is totally unknown.
       
       Known self is the opposite of the unknown earth or greater Universe. Unknowns also can be call spiritual.
       That is as far away from ego, as I can imagine or I don't know.

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    Luke Holmposted 4 years ago

    Your definition of the sacred self is just the ego being used altruistically.

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