Couple in an argument @ Freepik | Drazen Zigic

Sometimes the enemy isn’t outside you; your ego is not your amigo when it clouds judgment and erodes empathy. 

I read this interesting story a few months ago by a writer named Desiree Peralta on the Medium platform. Her story was titled: Do You Want to See the Real Nature of a Man? See How He Behaves When You Hit His Ego

In it, Desiree shared her experience about what happened to her when she went on a date with a guy. She said, at first, “he treated me with a lot of love and respect and always looked for a way to make me feel comfortable and safe.”

However, “his behavior changed drastically” when she told him she wanted to be just friends. And that’s when all hell broke loose. And based on the guy’s egoistic and dramatic reactions/responses, Desiree concluded her observations with…

“There are two types of men:

Type №1: The ones who believe they are the best and deserve the world; [but] will treat you like c**p when you are not useful to them anymore.

Type №2: Those with good self-esteem who know their worth and will always treat you with respect no matter what. They will never lose their composure, even if they disagree with you. They will explain their point of view to you and will continue to treat you as you deserve, even if you don’t have the same vision.”

Desiree’s conclusion on the incident is something to deeply think about, while appreciating the profound wisdom it offers.

Ego, the figurative devil who lives in all of us…

While a healthy amount of ego is a friend who just wants to protect us and help us survive life’s many challenges, the inflated ego, however, is not our amigo.

“The ego is your enemy, not your friend. It is the ego that gives you wounds and hurts you. It is the ego that makes you violent, angry, jealous, and competitive. It is the ego that is continuously comparing and feeling miserable.”

ANTHONY MORGANTI, QUOTES TO ENRICH LIFE & SPIRIT
FROM BUDDHA THROUGH GANDHI TO ZEN

The metaphorical story of the enlightened Buddha defeating the evil Mara, who was actually the Buddha’s own ego, is also an interesting way to look at how we, too, can learn and practice overcoming our ego in real life. You can read more about the story at the link below:

{getCard} $type={post} $title={Read related}