EGO = 1 / KNOWLEDGE

Category: Think

This simple formula shows that d more knowledge some1 gains, lower his/her ego should become. More or less all of us have seen this equation, most of us r aware that 2 much ego is actually counterproductive & we usually know @ least 1 egomaniac from our surrounding that nobody likes. On d other hand, not all of us could clearly express why egoistic behavior is so repelling or couldn't perceive how dangerous "hobby" it can be. 

"Narcissism" as a term which describes "fixation with 1self" originates from d Ancient story where a beautiful boy called  Narcissus was lured 2 see his own reflection in d water & felt in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image.  Unable 2 leave d beauty of his reflection, he died. 

Nowadays, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is considered 2 be a serious mental condition where d patient commonly displays snobbish or patronizing attitudes, as well as long-standing patterns of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behavior). 

So, now is d good time 4 some self evaluation. Therefore, simply take a look @ d following list & in case u recognize yourself in 5 or more claims, u most probably suffer from NPD. Here's d list:

• preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
• grandiose sense of self-importance
• excessive admiration required
• very strong sense of entitlement 
• expected favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his/her expectations
• taking advantage of others 2 achieve own ends
• lack of empathy (unwillingness 2 recognize or identify with d feelings & needs of others)
• frequently being envious of others
• regularly shows arrogant, cocky behaviors or attitudes

D challenge here is that all of us r prone 2 slip 2 d dark side @ some points of our lives, especially when u achieve some significant success or breakthrough. Why? I believe answer 2 this question could be best described metaphorically - whenever u climb, u're followed by a dog called 'Ego'. Beware of the dog! 

Even if "d patient" may see it differently, excessive ego is actually working against him/her. How? Simply because big ego makes u vulnerable & weak, it makes u dependent on opinions of others, which then subsequently define & control u. Ego simply makes u a slave- it gives away your power 2 others, limits your freedom 2 think, react or conclude adequately. As a result u end up making wrong choices. We all witnessed some examples of destructive force of ego power on various levels. Btw, be sure never 2 mistake someones healthy confidence, self-worth awareness or "zero bullshit" tolerance with ego problems. There might be a thin line between d 2 but d difference is actually quite big. From 1st hand I can say that some of d most successful & genuinely happy ppl I've met have managed 2 control their ego or even managed 2 successfully destroy it completely. What is also interesting, none of them have an urge 2 brag or explain themselves 2 much. In other words, whenever u need 2 emphasize your own greatness 2 some1, u actually diminish your power/worth. 

This leads us 2 d topic of EGO DESTRUCTION & why it might be a good thing 2 practice 4 all of us. Even if d full transformation usually takes lots of time & efforts, end results should include development of your own impenetrable armor that protects u from ego driven attacks. It should then enable u 2 protect your confidence & dignity levels @ all times, simultaneously serving as a correction mechanism 2 remind u about d things u know, don't know or still need 2 learn. As a result, u should better comprehend your own self-worth, realize u're not that special or irreplaceable after all & adequately understand your place in "d puzzle".