The word ego means a 'sense of self' which means that you are aware of your physical, mental and emotional presences.
Ego is such a colorful word, etymologically and philosophically, there are many different definitions of the word. It can range from Sartre's concept of 'one's projection into the World' to pompousness and even self-awareness. Many thought Sigmund Freud coined the term. Originally, Freud used the word ego to mean a sense of self but later revised it to mean a set of psychic functions such as judgment, tolerance, reality testing, control, planning, defense, synthesis of information, intellectual functioning, and memory. Different dictionaries give synonyms such as “self-esteem,” “'self-importance,” “self-worth.” “self-respect,” “self-conceit,” “self-image,” “self-confidence.” It is often defined as the 'conscious mind' or 'self,’ especially as distinct from the world and other selves'.Understanding what ego is is a state of awareness. The ego is in a dissociative position that gets interpreted as an effect of the reflection, rather than being the cause and effect of it. The ego helps one organize the thoughts and make sense of them and the world around us. In psychoanalysis, it is usually seen as the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality. Others say that it is the enduring and conscious element that knows experience, the conscious, rational component of the psyche that experiences and reacts to the outside world and mediates between the demands of the id and superego, that aspect of the mind most in touch with reality, an individual’s spiritual core, etc. Everyone needs to have some ego for a sense of self-worth. But too much of everything is bad including the big headed ego. More precisely, you can't have too much or too little ego, you can be more or less egocentric, and you can only have a greater or lesser awareness of the ego. Ego and self-worth are slightly different but interconnected. And in that scenario, feeling good about yourself is feeling good about your ego personality.
Egotism vs. Egoism. Egotism is an excessive or exaggerated sense of self-importance. Ethical egoism is the doctrine that holds that individuals ought to do what is in their self -interest. (Wiki). The word ego means a 'sense of self' which means that you are aware of your physical, mental and emotional presences. Others define the EGO as someone with self-awareness, self-determined, and ability to achieve. The suggested categories of healthy ego are self-actualization, self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-pride. But to have an overinflated sense of self, to put yourself above all others without ever caring about or considering the consequences of detriment to others by your actions is what is defined as 'egotistical' behavior. When people base their self-esteem on how others see them, they are often seen as egotistical. When they focus on what they want and tune into what others want, they develop ego-strength as they pursue their goals and serve others. It's all in the balance of it, the yin and yang. You've got to have a strong sense that you are able to affect big change in order to motivate others to do so.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Ego: We all have an ego - an ambitious sense of self that drives us to accomplish things. However, some have an unhealthy ego - an inflated, pompous, selfish drive that fights to win at all costs. A healthy ego, by contrast, is one in service to our higher selves (that intuitive, a more selfless aspect of ourselves that is the truly enduring part). When healthy, the ego still helps us succeed via our own unique strength in a professional way. We need a well-developed ego but we have to keep it under control. An ego out of control would use your whole life for the ego gratifications. Many people confuse confidence with ego. It is good to be confident in a natural way and there is no ego in that. However, if your confidence is based on trying to cover up your inner weakness or fear of being seen for who you really are that is definitely ego. When you identify with your higher self, strength, spirit, or some other definition of the higher part of you which is not ego you feel totally at peace. You have a sense of natural humility because you don't need to prove anything to anyone. You do not prevent yourself from shining or standing out in a group when needed, nor do you push yourself ahead of others or stamp on them or try to make them feel small. You have a natural respect for all life and an innate understanding that every human being is valuable.
Ego words clarification: Ego-awareness is the ability to know that one is consciously making those decisions; egotism is the over-estimation of the importance of one's ego; ego-centricity is behavior that is motivated by a belief that one's ego is of greater importance than others' are; ego-driven is used to describe someone who is motivated by a real or fantasy view of their own ego. Ego-strength is one pursues his/her goals and serves others as well. The true self-esteem is based on direct experience of your core consciousness, your higher self, which lies beyond your ego. That sense of inner well-being comes from knowing your spiritual self, provides a real sense of esteem that has nothing to do with one’s personality or ego. Your real-self doesn't derive its sense of value from your thoughts and behavior, nor does it care what others think of you.
Ego is tied to self-esteem and balance. Too much ego has one thinking too much of oneself--minimizing, marginalizing and dismissing the perspectives of others. Too little ego has one not believing in oneself. The pendulum can swing to either side. Reduce that pendulum swing so that it doesn't sway too far from the center--BALANCE.
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