We Live Microscopic Lives and the Macrocosmic Folly of Egotism
How do we overcome our egos to inhabit our brief moments fully?
In Hindi, a poignant phrase encapsulates one of life’s great paradoxes—“Zindagi jhandwa phir bhi ghamandwa.” A renowned film actor recited this.
Let me take a deep dive into this.
Translated, it means “our life is small, yet we live with ego.” These nine simple words carry a powerful truth about the human condition.
Our lives are microscopic specks when viewed against the vastness of the universe and the epochs that came before us and will follow long after we are gone.
Yet, despite our diminutive existence, we often live consumed by our egos—fixated on trivialities, absorbed by pettiness, and stubbornly clinging to our beliefs, desires, and self-perceived importance.
The ego manifests as arrogance, conceit, jealousy, and a hunger to dominate and diminish others.
When we live at the whim of our egos, we create suffering for ourselves and those around us through our words, actions, and mere presence.
Some of the wisest figures throughout history have warned about the perils of the ego and spoke of the importance of keeping it in check.
- The Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, states, “The unbridled ego is man’s greatest enemy.”
- The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “For a person to excel themselves is the greatest of victories.”
- More recently, Nelson Mandela exemplified the triumph of humility over ego, saying, “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur.” His lifelong battle against the racist system of apartheid was fueled not by ego but by a quest for equality, human dignity, and justice.
- Buddhist teachings center on transcending the ego, and the cycle of suffering it creates through the cultivation of present awareness, compassion, and non-attachment.
As the Dalai Lama stated, “We can get rid of the ego and still be there.”
Indeed, in every wisdom tradition and philosophy, ego mastery is essential to inner peace, clarity of mind, and proper relations with others.
Yet, the ego continues to inflict its relentless grip on the human psyche.
Ego influx permeates every domain.
In our personal lives, the sway of the ego breeds discord, conflict, and emotional turmoil.
How many relationships have been undone by petty disagreements, jealousy, or the unwillingness to admit fault — all products of an overactive ego?
Friendships are severed, and families are divided, all because we foolishly prioritize being “right” over being compassionate, empathetic, and humble.
The ego is the gasoline that fuels road rage, bragging, and the constant need to accrue material possessions and status symbols to broadcast our self-importance to the world.
It closes our eyes to the simple joys and profound beauty of the present moment in favor of chasing the next achievement, acquisition, or victory over others.
My opinion is that the ego emerges when we try to persuade someone without sufficient evidence and knowledge, which leads to anger and stubbornness in our beliefs.
Where has your reasoning gone?
I have personally witnessed the “ego disease” in many families, businesses, and large corporations.
As Eckhart Tolle wrote, “When you are ego-identified, you operate from a hard and rigid sense of this is who I am. When that’s who you think you are, when something threatens who you think you are, you become defensive.”
It manifests in various ways, such as leaders refusing to listen to feedback, team members unwilling to collaborate, and individuals constantly seeking validation and recognition.
Ego disease can be toxic, leading to power struggles, lack of trust, and, ultimately, the downfall of relationships and organizations.
It is crucial to recognize the symptoms early on and cultivate humility, empathy, and a genuine willingness to learn and grow.
We can only truly overcome the ego disease and foster healthy, thriving environments.
Global atrocities spawned from egos.
The worst atrocities in human history were not born of understanding, wisdom, and humility — but rather the toxic cocktail of egotism mixed with fear and hatred of “the other.”
The Holocaust, genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, and the murderous reigns of dictators like Stalin, Pol Pot, and countless others — all were made appallingly possible when the ego was allowed to view whole races or groups of people as sub-human objects to be dominated and eradicated.
As Albert Einstein keenly observed, “The ancients knew something, which we moderns seem to have forgotten. All knowledge, transcendental as well as mundane, was comprised in the idea of the ego. The ego was the spiritual essence of the individual.”
Even today, we see how ego-driven leaders and political movements are tearing at the fabric that binds societies together.
Ultra-nationalism, religious fundamentalism, and ‘us vs. them’ ideologies are stoking hatred, violence, and repression around the world.
At their core is the ego’s desperate hunger for power, supremacy, and the denigration of those who are different.
Shedding Our Egos — The “How To”
When we shed the ego’s blinders, we awaken to the profound beauty, mystery, and preciousness of the present moment and all life.
We realize we are temporary visitors, blessed with an opportunity to experience existence in these material forms.
As the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote: “The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures…It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.”
Our ancestors and their teachings remind us that it is possible but essential to relinquish our ego identities and egoic trappings.
Let me discuss some ways to follow a righteous path:
- Daily, we can strengthen the “muscles” of humility, compassion, and presence while stripping away the ego’s grip.
- Let’s adopt spiritual practice (minimizing the religious angle), mindfulness, service to others, communion with nature, and cultivating authentic human connections and community.
- We can consciously listen to others truly, put ourselves in their shoes, and see them as fellow bewildered souls on this same existential journey rather than objects to be judged, defeated, or diminished.
- We can let go of grievances, abandon our insistence on always being right, and embrace kinship over artificial divisions.
- In our most intimate relationships with spouses, partners, family, and friends, we can work to let go of the petty resentments, jealousies, and hurts that the ego fortifies over time.
- We can prioritize acceptance, empathy, and finding common ground over achieving dominance in each dispute.
Conversely, unchecked egos wreak havoc on physical and mental health through increased stress hormones, higher blood pressure, weakened immune systems, and sleep problems.
Finally, avoid toxic people (I adopted it and love it) and start living a life that matters to you and to your loved ones.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)
Connect with me on Twitter, read more engaging blogs on Medium, sign me up for my Substack Newsletter and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
