ego
What proves problematic is not individual competition per se, but rather its self-referentiality, which escalates into absolute competition. That is, the achievement-subject competes with itself; it succumbs to the destructive compulsion to outdo itself over and over, to jump over its own shadow. This self-constraint, which poses as freedom, has de
... See moreByung-Chul Han • The Burnout Society
“The whole self-esteem movement taught us erroneously that praising intelligence, talent, abilities would foster self-confidence, self-esteem, and everything great would follow. But we’ve found it backfires. People who are praised for talent now worry about doing the next thing, about taking on the hard task, and not looking talented, tarnishing th... See more
James Clear • Creativity Is a Process, Not an Event
The “wish to be feared or loved by people for no reason other than the joy derived from such power, which [he now realizes] is no joy at all. It is a wretched life.” It is the sort of life that hollows you out, sucking every ounce of your energy to the surface to maintain the veneer that captures attention. Indeed, we’re prone in this idolatry to m
... See moreJames K. A. Smith • On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts
Whatever behavior the ego manifests, the hidden motivating force is always the same: the need to stand out, be special, be in control; the need for power, for attention, for more. And, of course, the need to feel a sense of separation, that is to say, the need for opposition, enemies.
Eckhart Tolle • A New Earth: The life-changing follow up to The Power of Now. ‘My No.1 guru will always be Eckhart Tolle’ Chris Evans
The way the normal human ego tries to fill its emptiness and deal with its discomfort is by comparing itself to other people. All the time.
Timothy Keller • The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness
Whenever you feel superior or inferior to anyone, that’s the ego in you.
Eckhart Tolle • A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
But whether you feel inferior or superior, in your mind you are never equal—someone is always better or worse than you are.
Beatrice Chestnut, Uranio Paes, • The Enneagram Guide to Waking Up
i don’t see my partner as an equal. i look down on them, and their inadequacies as a means to bolster my own self esteem
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