Dissolve those icicles of ego with love and warmth

Ego is a word that has caught the imagination of so many saints and seers down the ages. Daily several quotes and inspirational lines are shared on social media

Ego is a word that has caught the imagination of so many saints and seers down the ages. Daily several quotes and inspirational lines are shared on social media and on encrypted messenger services, like Whatsapp, cautioning us to be wary of egotistic persons. We are warned to ignore such people and move on in life. We take solace in believing that such people will meet the consequences of their egotistic actions—in other words, karma will have its way.

HT Image

However, there are some wrong inferences about ego. The first and foremost is the presumption that ego is a weed which affects and infects others while we are miles away from it. The second, and most important inference, is when we assume that we all are victims of someone else’s ego, forgetting the number of victims our ego has affected.

In criticising, analysing and berating others’ ego, we never realise that we unknowingly get trapped in our own ‘Silent Ego’ — the irony is that we are oblivious of it. In blaming others’ ego, we create a cocoon around ourselves and keep on suffering what can be termed the ‘pehle aap’ syndrome, waiting for the other to break the ice that has turned rock solid due to the intense coldness of relations.

A warm, loving gesture is what is required to melt this rock solid ice. This will help in dissolving the pain that such ego creates, both in others and in us. And, importantly, this is a constant process. At regular intervals we should ensure that warm and loving gestures melt the icicles of ego that form on the roofs of our minds. This will prevent us from getting caught in the vicious trap of ‘Silent Ego’.

(Inner Voice comprises contributions from our readers. The views expressed are personal.)