Guest guest Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Nisargadatta , " tom " <jeusisbuen wrote: > > History and science are to the collective what ego is to the singular. > hey, that's good! Also useful to turn it around: Ego is to the singular what history and science are to the collective. Not sure if it is true, though. That someone writes an autobiography doesn't necessarily entail ego. That someone studies their eating patterns and finds a correlation between certain foods and some health condition doesn't necessarily entail ego. As I see it ego is not about any particular acts, but about *self consciousness*. For example, if a person walks into a crowded room, feels all eyes are on him/her and self-consciously becomes complicated about that, in my view such is ego. I see ego as an imaginary image of " oneself " that is being " managed " . When there is not such self-consciousness then there is no self image being managed. Another example: If you find yourself composing a message for this list with a view to how you will be perceived by others via your post, that is self-consciousness, and that is ego. When there is no self-consciousness the chips fall where they may. Any sense of " getting it right " does not enter in. What happens happens. There is no concern about managing/ controlling personal behavior for desired effects. In particular there is no concern about managing personal behavior in a view to eliciting positive responses from others. Instead behavior arises spontaneously. What one says or does is as much a surprise to oneself as to others. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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