“Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, your worst enemy already lives inside you: your ego.” — Ryan Holiday
I know what you’re thinking — that’s not me. I’m not an egotistical person.
That’s probably how most people would react to such a bold quote. You’ve always viewed yourself as a balanced person.
Know Thyself
Would you view yourself as talented? Do you consider yourself brimming with potential? Do you have a strong drive to succeed? Are you ambitious?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then ego is just part and parcel of your life. The most promising thinkers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and doers that reach the top do so because of ego. Their ego protects them from criticism. That, of course, also makes you more vulnerable to fall into your psyche’s dark side.
# Know Thy Enemy
You buy your hype and you give in to your ego. Harold Geneen, a famous American businessman, compared the ego to alcoholism. Where the alcoholic loses control, stumbling about, the egotist instead grows more arrogant with time and because of that people fall for the arrogance, believing it to be self-confidence and power. Like the alcoholic, the egotist doesn’t recognize they’re indulging a habit that will eventually destroy them.
You could think of your ego as the voice in your head that whispers how much better you are than you actually are. The voice that tells you you’re better than everyone else around you. On the one hand, that protects you from a lot of hurt. On the other hand, it prevents you from achieving true success because you can’t create honest connections with the world you exist in.
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