I AM EGO — AND SO ARE YOU

WHAT IS EGO?

Webster: “a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance —the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity. Compare with id and superego.”

This is a very poor, out dated definition. First, id and superego are no longer used. They are ancient, harkening back to the cokehead, Fraud. “Mediates between conscious and the unconscious”, implies as much connection with the unconscious as with consciousness. Not so.

A far better definition: “Jung saw the ego as the centre of the field of consciousness which contains our conscious awareness of existing and a continuing sense of personal identity. It is the organizer of our thoughts and intuitions, feelings, and sensations, and has access to memories which are not repressed.”

The reference to “memories which are not repressed” indicates the separation between ego and the unconscious mind. The personal unconscious mind contains all repressed information that ego does not want to assimilate.

In short, the ego is my sense of self, who I am. Those parts of my personality which I find unacceptable are repressed into the shadow. I and you are a great deal more than ego. Ego constantly strives to protect and enhance itself, attempting to be boss. It takes credit for every worthy thought and action, and scapegoats all that seems unworthy.