The question of what the Ego is, can appear in front of every person who has encountered the word "selfishness". It is because of this association that this concept is often perceived in a narrow and negative way. In fact, the concept of the Ego has a deeper and more important meaning.
What is the human ego?
To understand what the Ego means, it is necessary to turn to different psychological schools. But even in this case we will get only an approximate idea of this uneasy component of our personality. About your own ego, most of the thinking can be found in psychoanalysis. Most often, this term implies the inner essence of a person who is responsible for perception, memorization, assessment of the world around him and contacts with the society.
Male and female Ego helps people to separate themselves from the environment, to realize themselves as an individual and an independent being. At the same time, I try to keep a person in touch with the world around me, help me understand what is happening around me and make decisions for the necessary actions. Throughout life, this part of the personality is able to change and expand, if a person makes efforts for spiritual growth.
What is the great Ego?
The concept of a large or high Ego refers to the realm of esotericism. The High Ego is the spirituality of the person, the divine qualities acquired in the process of cognizing the higher spiritual matters. Every inhabitant of our planet is born a being aimed at satisfying his personal desires and needs. The lower essence pushes the individual to be a consumer, to live at the expense of others, supporting his organism. The lowest own ego is the source of all problems: envy, lies, aggression, greed.
In contrast to the lower inner essence, the higher Ego aspires to go beyond the personality and body and connect with the universe. Prayers, mantras, auto-training and other spiritual practices help the Ego to acquire a new meaning, to become wider and larger. At this stage a person acquires higher aspirations, begins to perceive others as close people. At the same time the character changes, the soul becomes lighter, spiritualized, and wholly.
Is the ego good or bad?
The human ego is an important component of the personality structure . Without it, the existence of man as such is impossible. No matter, the male Ego or feminine, it helps to perceive the external world and analyze it from the point of view of importance for the person. Thanks to the inner self, each individual adapts to the world, finds his place and vocation, and contacts with surrounding people.
About whether it is good to have your own ego or bad, you can speak only in terms of the level of development of this substance and the dominant functions that they took on themselves. If the world around us is perceived only as a platform for meeting our own needs, then we can say that the ego is developed at a weak level. A highly developed "I" strives to be a part of the world, therefore takes into account not only personal interests, but also the interests of others.
What is Ego-identity?
Ego-identity is an important component of the theory of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. In his works, the psychoanalyst identifies ego-identity as an important part of the formation and successful existence of the individual. The concept more affects feelings, not reason, so it is often used in female psychotherapy. Ego-identity is the integrity of the human psyche , in which various social and personal roles can be combined.
I-identity achieves the best development in case of a person's confidence in the life path and self-determination in three spheres: politics, profession, religion. Uncertainty of a person leads to the development of a personal crisis. The most profound among the crises is the teenage, whose task is to bring the growing up person to a new level of consciousness and self-perception.
Ego - psychology
The inner Ego has always been in the center of attention of representatives of psychoanalysis. This part of the human psyche was considered in conjunction with Ono (Id) and Super-I (Super-Ego). The founder of this concept is Sigmund Freud, who considered the driving force of personality drives and instincts. His followers - A. Freud, E. Erickson and E. Hartmann - believed that the ego is a more independent substance than Freud supposed and more important.
What is Freud's Ego?
Freud's ego is a highly organized structure in the psyche that is responsible for its integrity, organization and memory. According to Freud, "I" seeks to protect the psyche from unpleasant situations and memories. To do this, it uses protective mechanisms. The ego is the mediator between Id and the Super-Ego. I take into account the messages from Id, recycles them and acts on the basis of the information received. It can be said that the ego is a representative of the Id and its transmitter into the outer world.
Ego - the concept of Erickson
The ego psychology of Erickson, although it was built on the basis of Freud's work, nevertheless had significant differences. The main emphasis of the concept was put on the age periods. The Ego's task, according to Erickson, is a normal personal development. I am able to develop, cultivate throughout my life, correct incorrect development of the psyche and help fight internal conflicts. Although Erikson and allocates the Ego as a separate substance, but at the same time considers it inextricably linked with the social and somatic component of the individual.
In his theory of development, E. Erickson places a great emphasis on the period of childhood. This long time interval allows a person to develop mentally and get a good base for further self-improvement. The disadvantage of childhood, according to the scientist, is the baggage of irrational experiences, anxieties, fears that affect the quality of further development.
True and false Ego
The category of true and false Eg does not apply to psychology, but results from the teachings described in the ancient Indian books - the Vedas. In these manuscripts one can find another understanding of what the ego is. According to this teaching, the false Ego is a substance that helps a person to perceive and live in the physical world. This power causes in man those desires and motivations that are necessary for the survival and comfort of his own and his close people. For this reason, this substance is also called egoism.
The true Ego goes beyond the limits of personality and self-interest, it helps to pay attention to the surrounding world, to feel its problems, to help people. Life, which is based on actions and thoughts that flow from the true Self, becomes bright and pure. To overcome egoism and live, following the true "I", by its own forces is impossible. The basis of this life is the highest love of God.
Protective mechanisms of the ego
The founder of the theory of defense mechanisms is Z. Freud. In scientific works, he spoke about protective mechanisms, as a means of protecting the psyche from the pressure of the id and the superego. These mechanisms work at the subconscious level and lead to a distortion of reality. Freud singled out such ego-protections:
- repression - removing from memory information that traumatizes the psyche or is unpleasant;
- projection - the transfer of thoughts and desires to another person;
- substitution - transfer of a negative reaction from one person who caused the reaction to another;
- rationalization - the explanation of unacceptable behavior from the point of view of logic in such a way that the behavior began to seem acceptable or the only possible;
- regression - a return to behavior that is characteristic of a younger age;
- sublimation - redirecting impulses that cause discomfort to socially approved activities;
- reactive education is the manifestation of behavior directly opposite to the desires that a person has;
- denial - refusal to realize unpleasant events or thoughts.
How to acquire the Ego?
The human ego is born with the appearance of the individual in this world. Throughout life, it can change direction, reborn from the selfish self to the higher. Male and female Ego demands attention of the whole world to itself, since it considers itself to be the center of the Universe. Religions of different peoples agree that it is almost impossible to overcome the innate selfish ego by one's own strength. You can deal with it only with the help of supernatural divine power. You can acquire the higher self by constant spiritual practices, reading spiritual literature and self-improvement.
How to tame your Ego?
Combating one's own self is one of the most difficult tasks of every person. If a person has an Ego, inflated by passion, anger, envy, material desires, he will have to fight this part of his personality long and hard. The first thing necessary to pacify your Ego is the realization that it is selfish, inferior. It is necessary to understand what it leads to, to recognize all of their aspirations, desires, motives and motivations. After this, you need to choose the way in which you can work on your Ego. To do this, you can use spiritual practices or psychological programs to work on yourself.
Books about the Ego
A huge amount of information about the inner self is collected in such books:
- Z. Freud "I and It" . The book examines the power of the Ego, its meaning and connection with the unconscious and conscious side of the psyche.
- A. Freud "Psychology of Me and the defense mechanisms . " In addition to thinking about the components of the psyche in the book, you can find a detailed description of the defense mechanisms.
- E. Erickson "Identity and life cycle" . The book describes in detail the central concept of psychology Erickson - identity.
- E. Hartmann "Philosophy of the unconscious . " In his work, the author has tried to combine different ideas about the unconscious and his own ego.