Oracle of Consciousness

# 3 - EGO - Friend or Foe?

I had just reached for the vacuum powered, windscreen wipers on my best friend’s Ford Zephyr, travelling at over 100 miles per hour, or 160 kilometres per hour.

At that speed, a light drizzle turns into heavy rain and wet roads, very quickly, and so did the arrival of the next bend.

Being teenage ‘Petrol-heads’ and not having learnt responsible drinking, the three of us had imbibed in one-too-many beers, to be fully in charge of our faculties.

The Zephyr was substantially modified for speed, and I was invited to try it out in the dead of night, on a deserted road north of Perth, Western Australia, and my over-indulgent ego quickly accepted the quest.

It was a totally irresponsible and reckless choice!

The back of the car immediately oversteered on the slippery road, and my corrective action caused us to hit a metre-high roadside post, which brought about the first of three rollovers.

Mid-air, all four doors sprang open and on impact with the tarmac, were crunched up in a tangled mess on their pillars.

The second rollover mangled the car’s body even further, as my white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, barely held me steady in the seatbelt-less, roller coaster ride.

It was pitch black on this country road and the adrenaline rush instantaneously sobered me up.

At the conclusion of the third rollover, the vehicle ended up, irreparably crumpled and in deathly silence.

Photo by Karl Solano on Unsplash

Photo by Karl Solano on Unsplash

The three of us emerged unscathed, except for a small cut I received on the back of my hand from the breaking glass of the driver’s side quarter window.

How was this possible that we could all walk away from such a major wreckage unharmed, other than my dented ego?

Time for some deep contemplation

So, let’s explore how my then, overactive ego, played such a pivotal role in this valuable and life-lasting lesson.

There is a hint there; perhaps the EGO shows us what we don't want, in order to ask the question:

"Well, what do I want?"

The EGO can never get enough, never ever!

That includes beer or any other form of alcohol or drugs, whereby the combination of ego and alcohol, overrides our innate common sense and the ability to be behave responsibly.

The EGO loves to show off.

Here I was granted the opportunity to exhibit my (imagined) high-speed, 18-year-old driving skills, which didn’t include wet weather or slippery roads, the expertise of which would have resulted in a very different outcome.

The EGO thinks it is invincible.

These mortal bodies can be injured or snuffed out in an instant, but the ego believes it will never happen, and goads us on to undertake at-risk behaviours.

The EGO seeks its own self-gratification.

Which basically boils down to looking out for itself at the expense of anyone else, i.e., selfishness and inconsideration.

The EGO exaggerates its capabilities.

Inevitably when we venture into new activities, the ego if allowed, will regard itself as the ‘expert’, ‘professional’ or ‘highly skilled’, when clearly it isn’t.

How we counter and transcend these egoic behaviours, will result in very different, and wiser outcomes in our lives.

1. When drinking alcohol, be very aware, adhere to the legal requirements and limits, listen to your body, and say ‘No more’ to yourself and others, when it needs to be said.

2. Be humble and don’t entertain showing off or wanting to appear better than anyone else.

3. Protect yourself and those around you by drinking responsibly and never getting behind the wheel if you are over the limit, or incapable of being 100% present and in control of a vehicle. Use alternative transport if necessary.

4. Beyond respecting and honouring your own body, be caring and considerate towards others.

5. Know your limitations and be patient with your ability to master a new activity. It will take time and practice.

6. Embody and exhibit your life principles and values

Life is about making choices.

The EGO will make choices primarily from a place of fear, separateness, and superiority, whereas choices from your intellect, wisdom, and heart, will always be life-enhancing.

Befriend your EGO, as it has shown you on more than one occasion, what you don't want, and what a gift that was, for without it, how will we ever arrive at what we do want?

The EGO's fear inhibits our ability to think critically and rationally.
Our awareness is blocked and that results in our unwise, unintelligent behaviours and sometimes, self-sabotage.