Ego Traps

Trifoilum

Trifoilum

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After reading those lists I thought gee wiz, who isn't guilty of an "ego trap". We all have our own personal inner struggles that we contend with. It reminds me of that movie "The Peaceful Warrior". Everyone is capable of changing. I guess the best approach is awareness. Step back and take time to reflect, ask for feedback and be willing to listen to the answers you get. When all else fails I've found there is usually someone somewhere that's willing to tell you that you're acting like a righteous ass :becky:
 
The writer of the first blog seems whiney and smarmy and ironically very egotistical and butthurt. It does not read like someone enlightened or self aware. And of course they are asking for donations to the blog--which is primarily a venue for the writers complaining about people...

In fact, the writer aptly, yet unknowingly describes their own efforts:
But that’s the ego trap. You start off with an ostensibly noble intention that seems enlightened, and the ego hijacks it and uses it to further its own agenda of useless goals and superficial superiority over others.
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The second article is presented in a way that may give it more credibility, but it was nothing mind blowing. The word ego trap to me means anything one uses to avoid truly facing themself. It creates overcompensation.
 
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Sadie said:
After reading those lists I thought gee wiz, who isn't guilty of an "ego trap". We all have our own personal inner struggles that we contend with. It reminds me of that movie "The Peaceful Warrior". Everyone is capable of changing. I guess the best approach is awareness. Step back and take time to reflect, ask for feedback and be willing to listen to the answers you get. When all else fails I've found there is usually someone somewhere that's willing to tell you that you're acting like a righteous ass :becky:
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The last part is so true. XD

And, yes, we all have our own ego traps. And I think most of us have abused / been abused them, for self-grandeur and faux self-worth.
Achieving awareness in that aspect might be the hardest part, though. I don't know.
acd said:
The writer of the first blog seems whiney and smarmy and ironically very egotistical and butthurt. It does not read like someone enlightened or self aware. And of course they are asking for donations to the blog--which is primarily a venue for the writers complaining about people...

In fact, the writer aptly, yet unknowingly describes their own efforts:
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Which....is rather self demonstrating.

I find the writer alright (seen whinier people), if a bit bloggy (which again, given the topic in question, work against his credibility). And admittedly I skimmed the flavor texts...
I do like the concept, though.


The second article is presented in a way that may give it more credibility, but it was nothing mind blowing. The word ego trap to me means anything one uses to avoid truly facing themself. It creates overcompensation.
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Hmm... interesting definition!

For me it's...delusion, mostly. Delusions of achievement, enlightenment, popularity, sanity, realness....lots of things that works as a false scoreboard for judging how far we've gone.
 
Trifoilum said:
The last part is so true. XD Achieving awareness in that aspect might be the hardest part, though. I don't know.
Delusions of achievement, enlightenment, popularity, sanity, realness....lots of things that works as a false scoreboard for judging how far we've gone.
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It can be really hard to look at the reasons behind that imaginary line we draw that we think separates us from people that we believe are less than us in some way. It can touch on some very sensitive cultural, economic, familial, and/or personal beliefs that a person has. Basically it's a can of worms.
 
acd said:
The writer of the first blog seems whiney and smarmy and ironically very egotistical and butthurt. It does not read like someone enlightened or self aware. And of course they are asking for donations to the blog--which is primarily a venue for the writers complaining about people...
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As the writer of the blog in question, I'm admittedly biased here, but I have to ask...let's say you're right. Let's say I am indeed whiny, smarmy, very egotistical and very butthurt. Let's say every last thing you accuse me of is correct. What on earth does that have to do with the content of my ideas and whether they're true or false? I could be all of those things and still be correct about the ego trap concept and may still be saying something of value.

What you just did was nothing but an arrogant, egotistical, smarmy, butthurt strawman attack. How is the fact I ask for donations relevant to the actual content of the piece? What is the point of pointing it out other than to advance some more evidence for my supposed inferiority, and by implication, you supposed superiority? Me asking for donations is totally irrelevant to my article and it's irrelevant to the discussion the OP wants to have. You just brought it up, along with the rest of your strawman attacks, to boost up your already inflated ego. The whole comment is just smug and arrogant, which is maybe why my own smugness and arrogance struck such a chord in you. Jung's shadow and what not.

acd said:
In fact, the writer aptly, yet unknowingly describes their own efforts:
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Kind of like how your whole post is an exercise in egotistically displaying your own superiority and being smug and judgmental, yet you are criticizing others for those traits. It seems I'm not the only one who ironically describes traits I'm guilt of. Although to your credit, what you are doing may not be an example of the ego trap. The ego trap is when a person is trying to act enlightened and that attempt to be enlightened ends up just becoming another way to be smug and arrogant and superior. You on the other hand don't even seem to be trying to be anything but smug, arrogant, judgmental, and superior, so you may actually be more intellectually honest than most of us in a weird way.

acd said:
The second article is presented in a way that may give it more credibility, but it was nothing mind blowing. The word ego trap to me means anything one uses to avoid truly facing themself. It creates overcompensation.
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Again, a passive-aggressive way to brag.

First you say: "The second article is better, but it's nothing mindblowing." [Translation: "To YOU peons this may be saying something, but to superior mind like mind it's barely even worth the effort to click my mouse."]

Second: "The word ego trap to me means anything one uses to avoid truly facing themself. It creates overcompensation." [Translation: "Now that I've dismissed the two links as being inferior, and implied that the rest of you are inferior for seeing anything of value in them, let me display my own superiority by lecturing you with my own, obviously better definition."

Your whole comment wasn't so much interested in advancing the content of the discussion but in using the content of the discussion to advance the case for how superior to everyone you are.

To the original poster Triloilium: that second article was pretty good. Thanks for sharing it.
 
Tee said:
You on the other hand don't even seem to be trying to be anything but smug, arrogant, judgmental, and superior, so you may actually be more intellectually honest than most of us in a weird way.
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Perhaps, but we like her just the way she is.


Again, a passive-aggressive way to brag.

First you say: "The second article is better, but it's nothing mindblowing." [Translation: "To YOU peons this may be saying something, but to superior mind like mind it's barely even worth the effort to click my mouse."]


Second: "The word ego trap to me means anything one uses to avoid truly facing themself. It creates overcompensation." [Translation: "Now that I've dismissed the two links as being inferior, and implied that the rest of you are inferior for seeing anything of value in them, let me display my own superiority by lecturing you with my own, obviously better definition."
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You sound crazy. That is not a reflection of my ego or shadow or other psychobabble nonsense. It is an objective observation of your reaction to [MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION]'s post.

Your whole comment wasn't so much interested in advancing the content of the discussion but in using the content of the discussion to advance the case for how superior to everyone you are.
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Everyone's entitled to their opinions. Even you. But seriously, WTF? You take offense to one random comment made on the Internet? How did you even find it? And then you come here and spew this ridiculousness. Calm the fuck down and check your ego at the door. :P

Welcome to the forum, btw.
 
Is @Trifoilum @Tee?
Sounds like whoever you are, you have fallen into an ego trap!
Anyway tee, I just didn't think you possessed the Ethos to write such an article--and that is my impression of you, the writer, based on you going on and on about other people's flaws. It just didn't make a lesson on self awareness credible. Also, why do you need donations? Why should someone give you money to read any of that?
 
[MENTION=6839]Tee[/MENTION]

What you said is absolutely correct, but also nothing new. False humility has been a very well ingrained theme of morality throughout history. People are still entitled to their opinions on how you go about expressing it and also how you come off in defending it (a little overbearing; we can judge [MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION]'s response on its own merits).
 
[MENTION=6839]Tee[/MENTION] I agree with [MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION] maybe you should work on your writing a little. I stopped reading when I got to "she actually would have been doing the world a better service if she parked herself in front of a TV more instead of engaging people so often". It just sounds like a rant and there isn't much of a methodical breakdown of the concept you are trying to convey. I'm not even sure what the intention of the writing is; there is so much complaining in it that it dilutes the content. Plus you aren't proving anything by making speculative comments like the one I quoted.

I have a short attention span like most people so when I'm reading something I want people to get to the point.

* I only made the assumption that the intent of your blog was to convey a concept because that is what you expressed with your comment on this forum. So that is the context for my criticism if you understand what I'm saying.
 
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Oh sheep, how do I..
*facepalm*
[MENTION=564]acd[/MENTION] : I wish.

Good sir, @Tee, here I am wondering if rejection hurts so much for you.
Is there anything wrong with @acd for disagreeing-- for being -repulsed-, even? by your article?
For what it's worth, your blog was on my top search queue (with the second link) when I searched for ego traps.
But what's that with your defensiveness? because that's a lot of...barbwire thrown. Not to say acd doesn't throw any shades, but ....

You know, there's one ego trap I just noticed in me:
an ego trap of vision.

Of believing just because I saw something...different, special, crazy, you name it; that separates me from other people. That elevates me from others that does not see the same thing.

........................I'm seeing the same thing here.
 
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Sadie said:
OMG. This has really gone to crap on a cracker :becky:

View attachment 16684
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Oh heavens to Betsy my delicate sensibilities!



we better shut this thread down before anything gets resolved. Otherwise people who aren't involved might get their feelings hurt.
 
UBERROGO said:
Oh heavens to Betsy my delicate sensibilities!



we better shut this thread down before anything gets resolved. Otherwise people who aren't involved might get their feelings hurt.
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I would agree, in all honesty.
 
I can relate to being caught in an ego trap.
When i first made the decision to stop driving i was not exactly happy about it. I enjoyed driving and that sense of freedom that if afforded me. I started feeling a sense of wrongness and then one day i was driving and i had this horrible vision when i was parked at the lights. I saw blood everywhere, and screams, women wailing, cursing, bombs going off, people starving, others get fat beyond proprtion, people crying, men sitting around in lodges counting their money, everything collapsing around me and the earth dying. I practically started having a panic attack and i looked at my hands on the steering wheel and there was blood everywhere. There was blood pouring out of the exhaust of the car infront of me. My hands were so sweaty by then that i could barely grip the steering wheel enough to pass through the green light and park by the side of the road before i caused an accident.

So anyway, pretty weird and full on dream. And i kid you not, that is what i saw. So basically after that day if was pretty hard for me to drive. I literally had seen blood on my hands and i saw that wars were fought for the shit i put in my car so i could go down to the shop and pick up some bread. Innocent people were dying. The badies- the ignorant- were profiting from this blood and it was all technically my fault because i purchased oil. It was really hard to stop driving. I liked it so much and it was freedom. But eventually it became easier and easier, until my car turned to a rusted heap on the lawn that had to get towed away. What was then the hardest step was not judging anyone else for driving. At first it was hard. I felt like screaming at people and shaking them violently. I was thinking you lazy fuckers get off you arse and walk! One day i was in tears about this and i was talking to one of my friends who explained to me very gently that other people had not had my dream and they did not see the urgency. Telling them about my dream didnt make it real for them because they hadnt personally experienced it. They had not seen blood on their hands. They were not making that connection between oil and death. So after that, it became much easier for me to not judge anyone. Oil still represented freedom and options to them, not death. And i was not helping the situation by feeling rage towards other people. Afterall i wanted everyone to be happy and empowered. I had to look into other options, other fuels, that would provide us with freedom and options. I then concentrated all my efforts in looking in to the perfect renewable car and celebrating all the efforts made by the renewable energy industry. I have no doubt that oil will die very soon and we will all be driving all manner of different vehicles and using renewable energy to power our lives.

The other thing that i have been very judgemental about is when people, especaily those that say they give a shit about changing things, buy crap from multinational corporations. This has been my pet hate for a long time. I just didnt get it- People say they want things to change and yet they dont want to stop buying things from the psychopathic corporations. I got over my judgementalness about this recently a few months back. I went to a reiki workshop and i noticed that the Reiki Master's home was filled with products form multinational corporations. Products i would never have in my home. There was colgate in the bathroom, nestle all over the kitchen. I felt sick. I started thinking to myself, do i really want this lady to teach me this beautiful art of healing when she doesnt even understand the harm she is causing herself and the planet? Seriously- this lady must have no idea! And then it hit me what a judgemental self righteous bitch i was being. Here i was, in the beautiful lady's home which she had welcomed me into. She had shared her food and water with me and was about to teach me about healing with Love and i had somehow seen fit to judge her? WTF. I felt revulsion at myself. At the utter lack of Love and Grace i had shown, especialy before learning something as beautiful as reiki. All of a sudden looking around i saw her home in a different way and the beauty all around. I havent judged anyone about buying products from multinationals or felt superior because i dont buy products from corporations since that afternoon.

There have been many useful tools i have found on my journey. I quite like the articles posted by [MENTION=2172]Trifoilum[/MENTION]
And this is one of my favourite articles- I highly recommed this- http://www.jeshua.net/lightworker/jeshua6.htm
It is about the transformation from ego based consiousness to Love based consciousness.
 
(oh god great some sort of discussion can still be achieved)
[MENTION=4956]charlene[/MENTION]

In regards to your post;

a difference in experience is important, yes; not everyone experiences everything the same way like we did.
but there's also a difference in perception; what one sees as good, or better, or more important.
And even with them being the same, we cannot avoid a difference in choices. There are different paths to one destination, much less a multitude of them.

And maybe even more.

Which is somewhat interesting, how a lot of self-help articles often advocate that idea of dropping our ego.. making it less about us.

From my own experience, I notice one (or two, or three of them and more) is missing, 'clouded', before going judgmental, comparing, looking down.
My achievements, my experiences, what I've went through and understood sometimes acts like a false buff (RPG term) and made me feel more X than I actually am.

Avoiding the hard work of actually looking, of actually going further with life. In that aspect, you can call me a coward.

Whether one agree or not with the article, it seems most everyone is aware with some parts of the concept?
 
Great points [MENTION=2172]Trifoilum[/MENTION]

.
a difference in experience is important, yes; not everyone experiences everything the same way like we did.
but there's also a difference in perception; what one sees as good, or better, or more important.
And even with them being the same, we cannot avoid a difference in choices. There are different paths to one destination, much less a multitude of them.
Click to expand...
Yes! This is why empathy is such a useful tool in overcoming the egotrap.

So I guess what it comes down to is as long as we are comparing or we feel the need to validate ourselves by some external measure, we will be caught in an ego trap. It is only when we get to the point where we have genuine self worth and self love, we will not need any external validation. and ironically, when we get to this stage, the external will probably automatically validate the internal anyway because the outer world is a manifestation of the innerworld. So basically when we are completely congruent- we will stop judging others when we learn to stop judging ourselves. We can be compassionate with others when we are compassionate with ourselves.

An eye can see but cannot see itself except though its reflections in other people or objects. When we look aorund the world, we see our thoughts, our mind and our heart. When we can relate and understand that what we see on the outside is a manifestation of whats going on the inside- and yes- that is a painful and difficult process- we begin to see how we can resolve our inner turmoils and create a more beautiful world and find peace. A world that is more congruent with our deepest and truest desires, rather than a world that simply represents our fears and insecurities
 
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