It deals with social acceptance in communal arenas and the moral and mainstream pressures of life. It is a complex array of sources that feeds an ego: From the unattainable benchmark set by celebrities to the materialistic urges brought forth by our peers and the advertising we are inundated with daily. The ego becomes this borderless entity that is so interwoven into the fabric of our minds we do not even realize its influence. Still, the ego remains rooted into our mind facilities growing and maturing as we progress into adulthood. This is when modern religion was born and it is when humans began to cross the threshold of a physiological needs based society to an aesthetic needs based society. It was not until more recently – the last 3,000-5,000 years that humans have began searching for self-actualization. The ego is basically a bi-product of our social existence. This child will remain like an animal never progressing or evolving.
But that is not going to help in human evolution. Now, imagine if a child lives totally alone and isolated from social interaction he or she will never come to grow an ego. Though its mechanisms are crude, the ego is an unavoidable social phenomenon that helps trigger survival instincts and stimulate early social evolution. Many of us are born into a world where social Darwinism defines our existence. The ego was necessary for the early evolution of humans competing, breeding and foraging to survive and it is necessary in the early development of children today. These requirements are born from a more primitive human existence dating back millions of years. After the satiation of water, food and warmth, humans seek love and safety needs. It becomes the governing force from which we unknowingly base our daily actions.Įver heard of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? The model describes an imaginary pyramid that begins with physiological needs at its base and aesthetic principles of self-directed growth at its apex. The ego for better or worse thrives on ideals, beliefs and laws that determine a perception of the world and life that is larger than the individual. What is the ego? The ego is part of our mental devices that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of our being and the demands of the social and physical environment. Still I am cautious in saying that the ego is our friend… it is not in most cases.
I have overheard Wayne Dyer tell Oprah on TV once that the ego is not necessary – that there is no need. This is a complex question and it will come with a complex answer. This is a great question queried recently by Dave, a friend and fellow blogger… Is our ego a friend or an enemy? Shall we settle this once and for all? I write about the ego and its counterpart True Nature all the time.