It is a common saying that the bigger the better but when it comes to ego, it’s the opposite. But what is ego? Your ego is the image you have of yourself and how important you are. Whilst confidence is certainly a good thing but ego-driven individuals are often led by unhealthy overconfidence. A superiority complex that makes them feel invincible and unyielding. It is more like a distorted sense of self-importance.
We all have an ego and it can help us have high self-worth and esteem but when the ego becomes unyielding and you feel invincible then it’s time to take measures and control it. Because if you let your ego go unchecked, it can cause tremendous turmoil in your life. The ego is something we must always be on the lookout for. For many people, this part of their being can get out of control if not kept in check. That undeserved sense of self-importance leads to delusions about yourself and your reality. Ultimately, it hinders your ability to be your best self.
Life has no heroes
If you go through life thinking that you are invincible you will be greatly disappointed. We are all humans, no matter how big you think you are, we all operate using the same breath, made of the same matter and that’s what makes us common. We also have the same hours in a day to equalize all of us.
At some point, life is going to ask you to bent. Somebody is going to cross your path. Somebody is going to do you wrong. Somebody is going to bump into you, either intentionally or unintentionally and you are going to fall to the ground. Another one is going to hurt or disappoint you. But in all this, we are all human and life goes on!
Your attitude in life, and your ego will determine how you will carry through. You have to rise up, dust yourself, and focus your energy on moving on not revenge. Because if you think you are invincible life is more invincible than you. Swallow your pride, deal with your ego and you will find life becoming better for you.
8 Disadvantages of a big ego
1. It destroys relationships
The desire to always be right can ruin relationships with co-workers, bosses, siblings, relatives, and particularly with partners. It is okay to be wrong. No one is perfect. Understanding your true self and practicing self-awareness will help you realize that you cannot be right in every situation. There will always be situations where you will be wrong. Learn to admit that you are wrong.
An overblown ego drives away people, it repels them. Nobody wants to be with a self-absorbed person. Cultivating relationships requires humility. No one achieves respect by always being right. Everyone makes mistakes. Acknowledging one’s mistakes is a very impressive quality in a human being.
2. It makes you look down upon other people
Overcome the need to be better than everyone else. An ego out of control leads you to think that you are better than everyone else. That you are superior in every way. There will always be someone better, prettier, smarter, faster, and wealthier than you. From childhood to adulthood, this is the reality of things. Never talk down to people, you are not inferior or superior to anybody. You are beautifully unique, appreciate and focus on that. Just feel good about yourself but don’t feel that you are better than anyone else.
3. Makes you take all credit for yourself and never appreciate others
Success is a great thing, but it is often intoxicating. It often leads to oversized egos. That’s why most celebrities are egomaniacs. This is because once we get a taste of success, we begin to have a more inflated sense of ourselves and we feel like we are above others. The most difficult thing is to remain humble and sober even when we are on top of the world.
You owe your success to others, God, your family, your colleagues, and your friends. Don’t let your success get to your head. If you fail to acknowledge other people and always take credit that may be the last time people will help you. Nobody ever achieves success all by themselves.
4. You lose touch with the reality
Everything is bound to change. Material things come and go. Somebody said, ‘Be nice to people you meet on your way up because you will meet the same on your way down.’ As quickly as you can make money, you can lose it. An inflated ego makes you think you have superpowers that you don’t have. You can even live in an imaginary state where you think people are always watching you. Most of the time, people do not even care about you that much. They mostly care about how you treat others.
5. Ego leads to bad judgment
Ego leads to bad judgment as the person considers their way to be the only right way and becomes ignorant to better options and ideas. They think everyone else‘s idea is inferior to theirs.
6. Ego shuts your ears & stops you from listening
The only way you can learn in life is by listening to other people, taking advice, and then deciding what works for you. You will never learn if you let your ego get in the way and make you think that you know everything. You don’t know even a fraction of what there is to know in the world, and there is no point pretending you do so respect other people’s ideas and listen.
7. Ego leads to arrogance and ignorance
Always be a student in life. It’s very difficult to learn new things if you already think you know everything. Realize how little you know in the scheme of things and be a learner in life. It’s only when we admit that we don’t know that we give ourselves the opportunity to improve. The pretense of knowledge is our most dangerous vice because it prevents us from getting any better.
8. It makes you hell-bent on avenging
People with big egos are always bent on revenge. They cannot just let things go. They feel that they have to win every battle.
Simple ways to avoid a big ego
- The future is unknown, learn humility! Mis-happenings can knock on your door anytime without your permission and steal from you your prized possession. Fame can end in a flash, so be humble!
- There will always be someone better than you in something. So be humble!
- You need others in life so treat everyone with respect and be humble.
- No one is immune to life, you are not invincible so be humble.
Just remember that time changes, situations change and so does life. Never take anything for granted. Nothing belongs to you because you can’t escape death. Whatever you have will end with you in the grave. Enjoy what you have. Dream what you want. Work for passions and get that damn thing that you yearn for. But don’t look down upon anyone. The rich and the poor, the ugly and the beautiful, you and me-, all are human. Be humble!
I would love to hear from you about how you managed the balance between having confidence and having a big ego so please, leave a comment for me below, and if you found this useful, please share it with others.
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