Ethics Before EGO!
Some people seem to think EGO is simply a positive internal sense of self (some kind of strength).
Whereas, I mainly see it as a negative internal selfishness (a kind of weakness).
How often we wish to be understood and how little we wish to be the one with understanding. As a theist, the world was like magic and the god I believed in could do anything, so, to me, I thus had less awe and wonder. But now as an atheist with no magic in the world with only natural processes, therefore, I have more awe and wonder. The need for love and connection is indeed quite universal, so we should see the need to be as loving as we can.
What Harm does Our Pride or Ego Do?
*It often pushes people away from you, than draws them to you.
*It often stops you from growing or even seeing a need to change.
*It often blocks love from coming into your life but may add more strife.
*It often kills your happiness rather than producing it.
*It makes you a less critical thinker but more criticizing and irrational than an open-minded clear thinker.
To me, empathy is the flower of care or kindness expressed as the result of a heart blooming with compassion over EGO.
Be a person of honor:
*Be open-minded
*Be understanding
*Be thoughtful
*Be Informed
*Be honest
*Be caring
*Be helpful
*Be kind
I am a work in progress. The journey may be long but indeed worth it. And my arms are wide open for perfection. I looked out at the world and was ashamed. I realized I must do what must be done, I must be one of the few who care. May the desires of my heart include a love for humanity and a care to do what I can to help. We rise by helping each other and I am always trying to improve me, thus the world around me. May I not be a silent watcher of injustice. May my valor be found in my heart for humanity and not my ego. A mind unwilling to be wrong is a mind unwilling to learn. Don’t allow anger to become an unethical behavior. Empathy is not limiting one’s care to only themselves. Empathy: to think in another’s thinking, feel their feelings, and care about their experience.
May I be a person of kindness:
Nice behavior
Nice language
Nice Voice
Truth Navigation: Techniques for Discussions or Debates
I do truth navigation, both inquiry questions as well as
strategic facts in a tag team of debate and motivational teaching.
My eclectic set of tools involves:
*The Hammer of Truth: ontology, epistemology, and axiology
*REMS: reason, evidence, and methodological skepticism
*Utilizing Dignity: strategic dignity attacks or dignity enrichments
*Dialectical Rhetoric = truth persuasion (motivational teaching)
Asking the right questions at the right times with the right info can also change minds it’s just you can’t just use facts all on there own. Denial likes consistency, the pattern of thinking can not vary from a fixed standard of thinking, or the risk of truth could slip in. Helping people alter skewed thinking is indeed a large task but most definitely a worthy endeavor.
The Ethics of Character in arguments or debates
I wish to not simply think one-sidedly but strive for truth, even if I may be the one wrong. I also always strive to not let anger or frustration become a potential for unkind or unethical behaviors:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
*Don’t assume, ask then strive to understand not just react
*Don’t see them as an enemy, they are a fellow learner
*Don’t see it as win-lose, it’s about teaching
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
*Utilize nice behavior
*Utilize nice language
*Utilize a nice voice
Dignity, in my thinking, involves/encompass a phenomenological/psychological-awareness/cognitive-realization and the emotional sensitivity of our sense of self or the emotional understanding about our sense of self.
What we need to understand as well as acknowledge is how we should honor others who are fellow dignity beings and the realization of the value involved in that. As well as strive to understand how an attack to a person’s “human rights” is an attack to the value and worth of a dignity being.
Our dignity is involved when you feel connected: feelings with people, animals, plants, places, things, and ideas. Our dignity is involved when we feel an emotional dignity bond “my god”, “my religion”, “my faith”, “my family”, “my pet”, “my sport’s team” etc. This involvement of emotional dignity bond will indeed make the challenging of people’s “god”, “religion”, or “faith” such a difficult task and requires a skilled navigation to get them to see things differently but it can be done.
Dignity arises in our emotional awareness depending on cognition.
May my lips be sweetened with words of encouragement and compassion. May my Heart stay warm in the arms of kindness. May my life be an expression of love to the world.
To me, when we say it’s wrong to kill a human, that person is appealing to our need to value the dignity of the person.’ The person with whom may possibly be killed has a life essence with an attached value and moral weight variations. And moral weight,’ which is different depending on the value of the dignity being you are addressing understanding moral weight as a kind of liability, responsibility, or rights is actualized.
So, it’s the dignity to which we are saying validates the right to life. But I believe all living things with cognitively aware have a dignity. As to me, dignity is the name I home to the emotional experience, emotional expression, emotional intelligence or sensitivity at the very core of our sense of self the more aware the hire that dignity value and thus worth. I am not just different in my thinking on one subject, rather I am usually refined in all my thoughts. Rationalist is my nature, anti-authoritarian thinking is my methodology, atheism is my conclusion, Ignostic is my opinion, antitheism, as well as antireligionism, are my value judgments and anarchistic humanitarianism is my motivation. People are assholes, but then I remembered I too am people; and thus, I saw how I am responsible.
“Damien, so what do you think are the best ways to cultivate dignity?” – Questioner
My response, dignity is not a fixed thing and it feels honored or honoring others as well as help self-helping and other-helping; like ones we love or those in need, just as our dignity is affected by the interactions with others. We can value our own dignity and we can and do grow this way, but as I see it because we are social animals, we can usually we cannot fully flourish with our dignity. Thus dignity is emotionally needy for other dignity beings that is why I surmise at least a partially why we feel empathy and compassion or emotional bonds even with animals is a dignity awareness and response. Like when we say “my pet” cat one is acknowledging our increased personal and emotional connecting. So, when we exchange in experiences with say a pet animal what we have done is we raise their dignity.
To me, our dignity flourishes with acceptance, understanding, and support. Moreover, our dignity, in a sense, withers with rejection, misunderstanding, and opposition. Dignity thus in my thinking is the emotional sensitivity of our sense of self or the emotional understanding about our sense of self.
Dignity: Containing Value, and Moral Weight
“Admit it, Damien: How hard is it to challenge the mentally-challenged?” – Challenger
My response, I have just gotten better as I even better know what I will always try in my attacks Ontology, (understanding the thingness of things; like what is or can be real, like not god) epistemology, (understanding what you know or can know; as in you do have anything in this reality to know anything about this term you call god, and no way of knowing if There is anything non-naturalism beyond this universe and no way to state any about it if there where) and then end with axiology (understanding what is good or valuable as well as what is evil or unvaluable like how the stories about theist theistic gods are often racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic intersexphobic, xenophobic, etc. Thus they are directly against humanity and thus are evil and unvaluable. Unvaluable; as in the god concept you have is evil and demonstrably harmful and thus is highly unvaluable to humanity).
Why care? Well because we are cognitively advanced emotionally aware beings with fragile psychologies desperately needing of prosocial interactions with others. To me, we bloom in kindness and wither under unkindness, and we are prone to mental anguish from a trauma that can list a lifetime. We simply need people, and they need us. And because kindness is like chicken soup to the essence of who we are, by validating the safety needs of our dignity.
As I see it now, how odd I find it to have prejudice or bigotry against other humans who are in fact previous fellow beings of dignity, we too often get blinded by the external packaging that holds a being of dignity internally.
The common concept of dignity is often similar to my thinking of Dignity:
“Moral, ethical, legal, and political discussions use the concept of dignity to express the idea that a being has an innate right to be valued, respected, and to receive ethical treatment. In the modern context, dignity can function as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights. English-speakers often use the word “dignity” in prescriptive and cautionary ways: for example in politics it can be used to critique the treatment of oppressed and vulnerable groups and peoples, but it has also been applied to cultures and sub-cultures, to religious beliefs and ideals, to animals used for food or research, and to plants. “Dignity” also has descriptive meanings pertaining to human worth. In general, the term has various functions and meanings depending on how the term is used and on the context” ref
25 Ways To Kill The Toxic Ego That Will Ruin Your Life
By Ryan Holiday
How do we keep this toxic ego and selfishness at bay? How do we prevent ego from “sucking us down like the law of gravity?” The primary answer is simple: awareness. But after that, it’s a matter of hard work. In the course of researching Ego is the Enemy I was exposed to many strategies for combatting our arrogant and selfish impulses. Here are 25 proven exercises from successful men and women throughout history that will help you stay sober, clear-headed, creative and humble. They work if you work them.
1. Adopt the beginner’s mindset. “It is impossible to learn that which one thinks one already knows,” Epictetus says. When we let ego tell us that we have arrived and figured it all out, it prevents us from learning. Pick up a book on a subject you know next to nothing about. Walk through a library or a bookstore—remind yourself how much you don’t know.
2. Focus on the effort—not the outcome. With any creative endeavour at some point what we made leaves our hands. We can’t let what happens after that point have any sway over us. We need to remember famous coach John Wooden’s advice: “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Doing your best is what matters. Focus on that. External rewards are just extra.
3. Choose purpose over passion. Passion runs hot and burns out, while people with purpose—think of it as passion combined with reason—are more dedicated and have control over their direction. Christopher McCandless was passionate when he went “into the wild” but it didn’t work well, right? The inventor of the Segway was passionate. Better to have clear-headed purpose.
4. Shun the comfort of talking and face the work. “Void,” Marlon Brando once said, “is terrifying to most people.” We talk endlessly on social media getting validation and attention with fake internet points avoiding the uncertainty of doing the difficult and frightening work required of any creative endeavour. As creatives we need to shut up and get to work. To face the void—despite the pain of doing so.
5. Kill your pride before you lose your head. “Whom the gods wish to destroy,” Cyril Connolly wrote, “they first call promising.” You cannot let early pride lead you astray. You must remind yourself everyday how much work is left to be done, not how much you have done. You must remember that humility is the antidote to pride.
6. Stop telling yourself a story—there is no grand narrative. When you achieve any sort of success you might think that success in the future is just the natural and expected next part of the story. This is a straightforward path to failure—by getting too cocky and overconfident. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, reminds himself that there was “no aha moment” for his billion-dollar behemoth, no matter what he might read in his own press clippings. Focus on the present moment, not the story.
7. Learn to manage (yourself and others). John DeLorean was a brilliant engineer but a poor manager (of people and himself). One executive described his management style as “chasing colored balloons”—he was constantly distracted and abandoning one project for another. It’s just not enough to be smart or right or a genius. It’s gratifying to be the micromanaging egotistical boss at the center of everything—but that’s not how organizations grow and succeed. That’s not how you can grow as a person either.
8. Know what matters to you and ruthlessly say no to everything else. Pursue what the philosopher Seneca refers to as euthymia—the tranquility of knowing what you are after and not being distracted by others. We accomplish this by having an honest conversation with ourselves and understanding our priorities. And rejecting all the rest. Learning how to say no. First, by saying no to ego which wants it all.
9. Forget credit and recognition. Before Bill Belichick became the four-time Super Bowl–winning head coach of the New England Patriots, he made his way up the ranks of the NFL by doing grunt work and making his superiors look good without getting any credit. When we are starting out in our pursuits we need to make an effort to trade short-term gratification for a long-term payoff. Submit under people who are already successful and learn and absorb everything you can. Forget credit.
10. Connect with nature and the universe at large. Going into nature is a powerful feeling and we need to tap into it as often as possible. Nothing draws us away from it more than material success. Go out there and reconnect with the world. Realize how small you are in relation to everything else. It’s what the French philosopher Pierre Hadot has referred to as the “oceanic feeling.” There is no ego standing beneath the giant redwoods or on the edge of a cliff or next to the crashing waves of the ocean.
11. Choose alive time over dead time. According to author Robert Greene, there are two types of time in our lives: dead time, when people are passive and waiting, and alive time, when people are learning and acting and utilizing every second. During failure, ego picks dead time. It fights back: I don’t want this. I want ______. I want it my way. It indulges in being angry, aggrieved, heartbroken. Don’t let it—choose alive time instead.
12. Get out of your own head. Writer Anne Lamott knows the dangers of the soundtrack we can play in our heads: “The endless stream of self-aggrandizement, the recitation of one’s specialness, of how much more open and gifted and brilliant and knowing and misunderstood and humble one is.” That’s what you could be hearing right now. Cut through that haze with courage and live with the tangible and real, no matter how uncomfortable.
13. Let go of control. The poisonous need to control everything and micromanage is usually revealed with success. Ego starts saying: it all must be done my way—even little things, even inconsequential things. The solution is straightforward. A smart man or woman must regularly remind themselves of the limits of their power and reach. It’s simple, but not easy.
14. Place the mission and purpose above you. During World War II, General George Marshall, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan, was practically offered the command of the troops on D-Day. Yet he told President Roosevelt: “The decision is yours, Mr. President; my wishes have nothing to do with the matter.” It came to be that Eisenhower led the invasion and performed with excellence. Marshall put the mission and purpose above himself—an act of selflessness we need to remind ourselves of.
15. When you find yourself in a hole—stop digging. “Act with fortitude and honor,” Alexander Hamilton wrote to a distraught friend in serious trouble of the man’s own making. “If you cannot reasonably hope for a favorable extrication, do not plunge deeper. Have the courage to make a full stop.” Our ego screams and rattles when it is wounded. We will then do anything to get out of trouble. Stop. Don’t make things worse. Don’t dig yourself further. Make a plan.
16. Don’t be deceived by recognition, money and success—stay sober. Success, money and power can intoxicate. What is required is those moments is sobriety and a refusal to indulge. One look at Angela Merkel, one of the most powerful women on the planet is revealing. She is plain and modest—one writer said that unpretentiousness is Merkel’s main weapon—unlike most world leaders intoxicated with position. Leave self-absorption and obsessing over one’s image for the egotists.
17. Leave your entitlement at the door. Right before he destroyed his own billion-dollar company, Ty Warner, creator of Beanie Babies, overrode the objections of one of his employees and bragged, “I could put the Ty heart on manure and they’d buy it!” You can see how this manifestation of ego can lead you to success—and how it can lead to downright failure.
18. Choose love. Martin Luther King understood that hate is like an “eroding acid that eats away the best and the objective center of your life.” Hatred is when ego turns a minor insult in a massive sore and it lashes out. But pause and ask: has hatred and lashing out ever helped anyone with anything? Don’t let it eat at you—choose love. Yes, love. See how much better you feel.
19. Pursue mastery in your chosen craft. When you are pursuing a craft you realize that the better you get, the humbler you are. Because you understand there’s always something you can learn and you are inherently humbled by this fascinating craft or career you’re after. It is hard to get a big head or become egotistical when you’ve decided on that path.
20. Keep an inner scorecard. Just because you won doesn’t mean you deservedto. We need to forget other people’s validation and external markers of success. Warren Buffett has advised keeping an inner scorecard versus the external one. Your potential, the absolute best you’re capable of—that’s the metric to measure yourself against.
21. Paranoia creates things to be paranoid about. “He who indulges empty fears earns himself real fears,” wrote Seneca, who as a political adviser witnessed destructive paranoia at the highest levels. If you let ego think that everyone is out to get you you will seem weak…and then people will really try to take advantage of you. Be strong, confident and forgiving.
22. Always stay a student. Put yourself in rooms where you’re the least knowledgeable person. Observe and learn. That uncomfortable feeling, that defensiveness that you feel when your most deeply held assumptions are challenged? Do it deliberately. Let it humble you. Remember how the physicist John Wheeler put it, “As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.”
23. No one can degrade you—they degrade themselves. Ego is sensitive about slights, insults and not getting their due. This is a waste of time. After Frederick Douglass was asked to ride in a baggage car because of his race, someone rushed to apologize for this mistreatment. Frederick’s reply? “They cannot degrade Frederick Douglass. The soul that is within me no man can degrade. I am not the one that is being degraded on account of this treatment, but those who are inflicting it upon me.”
24. Stop playing the image game—focus on a higher purpose. One of the best strategists of the last century, John Boyd, would ask the promising young acolytes under him: “To be or to do? Which way will you go?” That is, will you choose to fall in love with the image of how success looks like or you focus on a higher purpose? Will you pick obsessing over your title, number of fans, size of paycheck or on real, tangible accomplishment? You know which way ego wants to go.
25. Focus on the effort—not the results. This is so important it is appearing twice. If you can accept that you control only the effort that goes in and not the results which come out, you will be mastering your ego. All work leaves our hands at some point. Ego wants to control everything—but it cannot control other people or their reactions. Focus on your end of the equation, leave them to theirs. Remember Goethe’s line: “What matters to an active man is to do the right thing; whether the right thing comes to pass should not bother him.”
Don’t let your ego ruin your relationships
How to let go of your ego and improve your relationships
by Kori Ellis
Ego has a role in spoiling many relationships, and it’s not just a problem with people who are dating. Ego can ruin friendships and put a wedge between family members, too. If you have had a string of unsuccessful relationships, you need to let go of your ego and take a step forward toward true happiness.
Ego vs. self-esteem
Being egotistical is generally considered negative, while having high levels of self-esteem is positive. So, what’s the difference? An egotistical person’s self-worth is driven by external factors — primarily feedback from others. A person with high self-esteem’s sense of self-worth is determined by internal factors such as passion, belief or personal vision. People with big egos are often insecure and trying to cover up those insecurities by pretending to be important or better than everyone else. Those with big egos lack confidence and self-love. Conversely, those with high self-esteem have confidence in their own abilities, know their shortcomings and love themselves. We all have an ego. However, we must learn how to control it. If you let your ego go unchecked, it can cause tremendous turmoil in your life — particularly with your partner or spouse. Negative feelings, such as anger, resentment, fear, and jealousy are all products of the ego.
Hanging on
Oftentimes a person will remain in a bad relationship because her ego won’t allow her to accept that her judgment of her partner’s character was wrong. This is common when a person is being cheated on. The ego is bruised and we can’t accept that we are less attractive or less desirable than our partner’s mistress. It can’t be true that we invested years into a relationship that isn’t working out. Our ego won’t allow us to accept it. So, we hang on to the relationship to prove that we are worthy to be in it. In order to move on, a person needs to let go of her ego and free herself from an unhealthy relationship.
Jealous thoughts
When your boyfriend is out with his friends, does your mind go wild with thoughts about what he’s doing? Jealousy and ego can be very destructive. If you obsess on those thoughts running through your mind, by the time your boyfriend comes home, you can convince yourself that he’s cheating on you. Of course, an argument will ensue and your boyfriend will be frustrated about the accusations. If the pattern repeats, he will become resentful and eventually want out of the relationship — all because of a fictitious story that you allowed your ego to create in your head.
Being right
For the egotist, being right all the time is closely associated with feeling worthy. Therefore, those who can’t let go of their egos do and say anything they can to always be right. Unfortunately, this happens at the expense of everything else. The desire to always be right can ruin relationships with co-workers, bosses, siblings, relatives, and spouses. At some point, you need to realize that the false self-worth that you get from sticking to your guns and “being right” doesn’t outweigh true happiness.
Fear of rejection
Whether it’s asking for a promotion at work or introducing yourself to a new guy at the gym, fear of rejection can be what stops you from achieving your goals. If you let go of your ego and those fears, you can live your life without limits and achieve a lot more. To combat the fear of rejection, you need to love yourself and know that you deserve positivity in your life. You must accept that life isn’t without failures. In some scenarios, you may get rejected 90 percent of the time, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance at success. Gaining control of your ego is the best thing that you can do for yourself. If you can’t put your ego aside and let it go, you’ll continue to have unsuccessful, destructive and unhappy relationships.
How ego kills the relationships
“Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.” — Anthony Robbins
When a person comes in life, firstly he communicates or connect with other human beings and in different ways because of all the human beings and in different ways. As a baby comes into this world, opens his eyes and perceive the world in different ways. He sees a lot of relations which are surrounded by him, and they show affection towards him. As a result of a baby only smiles in response. As baby grows gradually he understands the relationships which are attached to him, he inclines towards that relationships and makes expectation from them. After acceptance, affection comes in a relationship that’s a natural thing. A child seeks from the environment that how to build relationships, what are the factors which strengthen the relationships. It’s a responsibility of the parents to gain inside in their children all these factors like; Accept and give importance to others: it is one of the biggest challenges that we see in relationships. As every human is different from others and their opinions are also different. It is very difficult to accept the point of views of other and make a compromise on them. If you don’t do so, it kills the relationships. Self-respect is very important for all, if you give importance to others, properly attend them and show affection, they notice it and such things matter a lot for others. This attitude strangers your relationship.
“Whenever you’re in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is the attitude.” – William James
We should have the ability to listen to others effectively besides only speaking. Listening and understanding is the most important part of the successful interaction. We should value the other’s thinking if they right then accept them and if they are wrong then correct them.
“Assumptions are the termites of relationships.” — Henry Winkler
Giving time to people is a huge gift, in a world where time is the essence; mostly we have no time to give to our loved ones, being present in time you give time to people is a great blessing. When you truly attend someone not thinking about the past, not worrying about the future, just focus on someone, such connection makes strong relationships. You must have the ability to communicate others and to attend others in your conversation. So that people properly attend you, listen to you effectively and don’t make assumptions without listening. Effective communication skills have a great impact on your personality.
“People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.” — Joseph F. Newton Men
Nothing will kill a relationship (even the best of relationships) more quickly than ego. Here are ways your ego can kill your relationship, and how to avoid having your ego ruin your relationship. Think about the number of times you’ve fought with a significant other and whenever things get a little heated you start to defend yourself. All you hear is you being attacked, and you immediately go into “defending yourself” mode. Do you know that when you defend yourself in a fight, what’s really happening is your ego is defending itself? In order to truly love someone, you must separate your ego from yourself. This is also true if you want to be able to totally love yourself. Now, I know that in a perfect world, we would never be ego-driven. This is not a perfect world of course, so let’s get real. We are all ego-driven to some extent or another, so let’s acknowledge it and embrace that we need to separate the ego to cultivate and maintain a truly amazing relationship with someone.
Your Ego Can Ruin Any Conversation: Most often, we let our pride or ego to take over the conversation. We think that we are already smart enough to even listen to other people. We think that we are better than other people and feel we have nothing more to learn from them. When we close ourselves and stop listening to other people, we are doomed because we stop learning. To eliminate this listening barrier, you have to be more open-minded to listen and learn from other people. Remember that you do not have to agree with everything, but it is helpful if you at least, listen to what they have to say.
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
Gaining control of your ego is the best thing that you can do for yourself or else it will continue getting in the way of your relationships, your career, and your life. One big myth is that time heals all wounds. It does not. Repeat after me: TIME DOES NOT HEAL ALL WOUNDS. Time does NOT heal the wound of loss. Unresolved loss can result in the inability to establish new relationships, be fully present in our current relationship, end relationships or move on when the time is right. When we have unresolved losses, our life scope becomes narrower. We think we can’t trust others to not hurt us. We are nervous about loving again. This comes from not being able to trust ourselves to handle a possible loss. Unresolved loss can affect people in many ways from excessive use of drugs to depression and chronic illness to just being fearful about everyone and everything. As a therapist, working with grieving clients became my mission in life. Welcome loss as an opportunity to heal that in you which needs to be healed. All the unresolved loss, all the unrequited love, all of the abandonment…use this as a time to heal all of it so that you may open, one day, to full and lasting love.
https://medium.com/@ns.nimra.shehzadi/how-ego-kills-the-relationships-a34a965812f2
5 Signs Ego Is Ruining Your Relationship
Psychologist Carl Jung said, “The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.” It’s not such an easy concept. Sometimes ego is a huge part of a relationship. It becomes a tug of war between spirit and emotional stability. When it comes to love, we often turn to our egos to make decisions, play the blame game, and manipulate.
1. CONSTANT BLAME.
If you are constantly blaming your counterpart for everything, you need a reality check. Ego is controlling your relationship and using manipulation to do it. Do you take any responsibility for your actions? Can you step aside and analyze the situation without blaming the other? The ego loves to blame and criticize. It will do everything and anything to transfer and reprimand another. Unfortunately, that which we avoid is usually what we get in relationships. When we don’t take responsibility for our actions the ego will utilize this to project onto another.
2. EVERYONE IS BETTER THAN YOU.
Are you playing the victim card in your relationship? Do you compare yourself to your partner? Are you always putting yourself down in order to get a rise? The ego will partake in negative reinforcements rather than positive ones. It will chit chat and magnify your imperfections. If you are doing this it is definitely time to step back and recheck your relationship. You are not a martyr. If this is a role you are fulfilling it is time to be accountable for what you are bringing to your love life.
3. JEALOUSY.
The green-eyed monster is the greatest platform for drama in a relationship. Ego feeds on self-worth and lack of acceptance. A loving relationship is based on mutual respect and awareness of another. It doesn’t contribute in the comparing, put downs and ridicule that jealousy creates. This is a drama that becomes the highest form of toxic energy in relationships. If you are in an abusive relationship, ego will keep you there through jealousies. What is causing you to entertain these thoughts? Is your partner causing you to question the relationship? This is a red flag to step back and be honest with abuse in a relationship.
4. FEAR OF REJECTION.
This sort of fear stops you from moving on and achieving any goals. When you stop yourself because of this fear you are doing an injustice to your relationship. Shifting your perception rather than being paralyzed by the ego’s anxiety and nagging is a constructive way to gain self-worth. Your ego shines when you have negative self-talk. Are you giving up your authentic truth to make another happy, as not to rub their ego in the wrong way? This is not a healthy boundary. Loving relationships are based on mutual admiration and acceptance. If you are being driven to feel rejection perhaps it’s time to analyze your commitment with this person.
5. YOU MUST HAVE THE LAST WORD.
Ego has a way of turning everything about you into a one-man play. If you find that you or your partner talks excessively without asking about the other, well you are in a huge ego-driven relationship. The ego plays a wonderful role in keeping us from achieving complete peace and happiness. It is the mind’s way of controlling. It will also create scenarios that don’t exist. If you find that you must have the last say in everything, it’s time that you step back and find the root. Do you feel superior, or inferior? Do you lack self-assurance and, therefore, have to prove that you are worth it? Ego has a way to disguise inferiority by over talking. If you are in a relationship that is argumentative ego might just be fueling it. Is this how you want to be loved? At any point in your relationship, you must step back, breathe, and take accountability for your actions. You are your thoughts. You are your actions. If your ego is driving you to these negative challenges it is also screaming for attention. Loving another requires complete vulnerability. Let go of the chit-chat and be honest with yourself and others. You get to choose your words and actions. You get to change and shift the way your relationship should be. It all starts with you!
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/5-signs-ego-is-ruining-your-relationship/
8 Signs Your Ego Is Trying To Sabotage You
The ego can most easily be described as the mask you wear in daily life. The real you, hidden beneath all the layers you have put on, wants to reveal itself, but the ego likes to maintain control at all times. It can’t stand to give up its power over you, and sadly, many people never move beyond the ego’s domain in their lifetime. If you have felt like you’re in a constant war with your own mind, your ego might feel threatened by your higher self.
1. YOU HAVE BECOME VERY SELF-DESTRUCTIVE.
Thoughts of self-hate regularly enter your brain, and you have turned to compulsive habits such as drinking or smoking. The ego comes from a place of darkness, and to tame it is one of the most difficult tasks a human will face in his or her lifetime. It fears giving up control, so it wants to keep you in a low vibrational state at all times to avoid transparency. So, if you have picked up on destructive habits and demeaning thought patterns about yourself, you can almost be sure the ego is the mastermind behind it all.
2. YOU FEEL OVERLY SELF-CONSCIOUS AROUND OTHERS.
The ego doesn’t always make a grand entrance; sometimes, it likes to take a more subtle approach. Self-destructive habits can also include feeling a lack of self-confidence, but this doesn’t seem as apparent as the former. However, the ego is still likely to blame, because it always wants you to second-guess yourself and rely on things outside your consciousness for contentment. However, once you move into your heart and act on love rather than fear, you will slowly see this behavior dissipate.
3. YOU FIND YOURSELF COMPLAINING OFTEN.
The ego loves to find everything wrong with a situation or person, so it harps on all the atrocities and misfortunes in life on a daily basis. Complaining every once in a while is a part of life, but if you catch yourself seeing the glass-half-empty more than you normally would, try to look inside and tell your ego that all is well, and it doesn’t have to worry.
4. YOU POINT OUT THE NEGATIVES IN YOUR LIFE BEFORE THE POSITIVES.
Becoming a Negative Nancy can happen without you ever noticing this shift in consciousness because the ego moves very slyly. It likes to go undetected and work in the background so as not to draw too much attention to itself. Looking at the world negatively reflects your vibration, so if you want to start noticing the positive aspects of life, work on taming the ego and feeding your soul instead.
5. FIGHTS AND ARGUMENTS HAPPEN FREQUENTLY BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
Like we’ve said before, the ego doesn’t enjoy being wrong, and gets wounded easily if it doesn’t get its way. If you constantly have to get the last word in and can’t stand for others to be right, your ego is definitely trying to interfere with your life.
6. YOU JUDGE OTHERS HARSHLY.
This sort of goes along with seeing the negative in the world, but judging others is actually just a reflection of yourself. How you see yourself, you will see others, so if you want to start noticing the good in people, you must first realize the positive things about yourself.
7. YOU FIND IT HARD TO LISTEN TO OTHERS WITHOUT WANTING TO INTERRUPT.
When the ego rules, it doesn’t know how to meet others halfway. It works using a “my way, or the highway” approach, so allowing others to speak and have the attention on them really scares the ego. It doesn’t take well to giving others the time of day, so if you find it difficult to let other people speak without wanting to interject, your ego is clearly dominating your energy.
8. YOU SEEK REVENGE WHEN OTHERS HURT YOU.
The ego needs to get even when it feels pain, so what does it do? Try to destroy others, of course. It survives by tearing you down and tearing others down, so to stay alive, it must always hurt others. The Ego feeds off pain and destruction, but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily bad. You must learn to use it for good and not evil, just like a superhero would do. They all have incredible powers, but must use them wisely for the benefit of themselves and humanity as a whole.
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/8-signs-your-ego-is-trying-to-sabotage-you/
How to Drop Your Ego With 5 Techniques
As we grow up and develop our emotional and social intelligence our character starts to form and mold our personality from a very young age, however interestingly as a child we haven’t learned or become trapped by our ego. They aren’t frightened by the fear of failure that most of us learn as we get older. I believe Jim Carrey said it best in his commencement address at the 2014 M.U.M. graduation, “If you listen to the ego, there will always be someone doing better than you. No matter what you gain, the ego will not let you rest. It will tell you that you cannot stop until you’ve left an indelible mark on the earth until you’ve achieved immortality.
How tricky is this ego that it would tempt us with a promise of something we already possess?
Children are not scared to express their emotions, they are not scared to say what they think, to show what they feel or feel the beauty of the unknown. They live in the present moment, in the now. In the first part of our own personal inner growth, we try to adapt to different people and situations to feel worthy and accepted. Our mind starts to work and our egos start to grow and begin to take control of our lives and our thoughts. We generally put on an act to be everything but ourselves in order to feel “liked.” It takes a lot of personal work to discover who you are and not to be driven by the temptations of the ego. It’s a constant journey, one that a lot of people avoid yet ironically still want the benefit of the end result. The truth is that in the process of our personal developmental journey and life challenges we are bound to get hurt. Be it different experiences, bad relationships, betrayal or abandonment, a lot of these experiences form in us like a leach of fear that drains and taints our perspective on future experiences and relationships.
I often hear people say, “I have to be more careful, I was hurt last time.” And “How can I trust anyone when so many people have betrayed me?” But is this the actual truth or only the perspective/voice of your ego? Shouldn’t we instead become better people from those experiences rather than close ourselves to new ones? Shouldn’t we instead be everything contrary to those experiences and people, and just use them as lessons to tackle new challenges with a new awareness and knowledge? By being more controlling of our lives we actually block ourselves from new experiences. I don’t believe the aim should be to be more “careful” but rather to be “full of care.” We can’t control our relationships to be certain we won’t get hurt, it’s a matter of learning from our past experiences and learning to let go of our egos to live like a child does. To fall down and get back up, but with every fall become a bit stronger, smarter and more aware. We are here to experience, to develop nurturing relationships with our higher self and to find our purpose.
. Practice forgiveness & letting go.
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- The most powerful tool to learn to let go of our egos to make life easier is to practice forgiveness. We have to learn to forgive the people who hurt us and most importantly we have to learn to forgive ourselves.
- Accept, let go and keep moving forward. Forgiveness will open the windows to your soul, and remove the negativity to allow room for new happiness.
2. Practice honesty and being open.
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.” — Will Smith
- The most important sentence I’ve ever heard, and I’m sure you’ve heard it too, “The truth will set you free.” Suppressing our emotions can develop depression and anxiety. Always seek the truth.
- Honesty provides us a unconditional freedom to be connected with ourselves instead of trying to be something that we’re not.
- Learn to say no to the things that don’t add value in you’re life, and open your arms and run towards the things that do.
3. Surrender your need for control.
- We are not our egos, we are not our jobs, we are not our material possessions, and we are not our achievements. Once you let your ego control your life, you will never be happy or relaxed because as soon as you lose one of the things that you identify with, the rest will fall like dominos and you will lose your happiness.
- Break the fears and trust life! Don’t be scared to love. Take risks. Be curious. Explore. Do what makes you happy. Try to do every day something that scares you and you’ll start to feel happiness in the small things.
4. Enjoy silent moments with yourself.
- Create an everyday routine to remind yourself why it’s beautiful to be you. To know that you are enough.
- Every day, strive to perform a selfless act of love and enjoy giving without the expectation to receive.
- Take 5 minutes every day to be with yourself in silence, because sometimes in silence you can find the answers that the voices never can.
5. Practice gratitude.
“It’s not happy people who are thankful; it’s thankful people who are happy.” — Unknown
- Take 5 minutes every day to think about all the people, experiences, lessons and mistakes you are thankful for.
- Grateful people feel more love and compassion and feel more alive than those who don’t.
- Appreciate everything and everyone and you’ll discover true beauty in your life.
Learning to let go of your ego is very easy in theory, however, can be very difficult to execute in the moment. When I think about times that I’ve been frustrated I always recognize a single thought that resonates in my head, “Drop your ego! You have nothing to lose here, but a whole life to win.” I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and found my techniques helpful, if so please share it with your friends, it may be exactly what they need to hear. I’d love to hear what actions you take, and what makes your life worth living. Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. Never forget, we always have a chance to make our life beautiful.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-to-drop-your-ego-with_b_926
How to Find Self-Acceptance By Mastering These 8 Ego-Destroying Tips
by Yamaya Cruz
Our ancestors had a one-size-fits-all approach to solving their problems. If someone were different, they would kill them. If someone were sickly or weak, they would kill them. Even the people who were exiled were hunted down and killed sooner or later. Today it is a little barbaric to go around and just kill people. Sadly, we still do it. Only now, instead of a hatchet, we use our massive egos to kill the things that we are most threatened by. The ego thrives on fear and keeps us in a primal, fight-or-flight state. In this state, we behave like wild animals. Unfortunately, we can never fully destroy the ego. The only thing that we can do is tame it through social domestication and training. Here are eight ways to achieve this:
1. You can begin the process of ego destroying by accepting the primordial parts of the self.
There are certain behaviors that are embedded in all humans. Many of these behaviors are needed for our survival. However, when a behavior becomes instinctual, it is virtually impossible to control. Through the years we have worked to control the ego through a social domestication process. So, much like a dog or cat, our genetic code has been altered. It has been socially neutered to stop the procreation of anything that is inherently harmful.
2. Human domestication is part of the ego-destroying process.
The human domestication process was intended to weed out all of your bad traits. It was supposed to work as a process to tame your primal instincts and wild nature. It was a means of giving the ego self-restraint. So, when it starts to bark or bite, you can just place a muzzle over it and pretend it doesn’t exist. However, this kind of behavior has resulted in suppression. This causes the ego to become much stronger. Then the ego will start to act out by defecating on the living room floor, leaving you to reprimand it when it loses control. You need to train the ego to control itself. Besides, the whole point of being socially domesticated is to learn how to clean up your doo-doo. Sadly, if your ego doesn’t understand right from wrong, you’re probably going to be knee deep in it!
3. You can master the process of ego destroying by choosing not to be overly defensive.
So, what happens when someone smells it and calls you out on your stuff? You revert back to your primal instincts. You devolve into your natural, uncivilized state where all problems were fixed with one simple solution: Kill! If you feel threatened by someone’s ideas or presence, you have to kill. If you are sexually attracted to someone and the feeling is not reciprocated, you have to kill. If someone makes you feel weak, feeble, and insecure, you have to kill. Your ego wants to kill anyone and everyone who makes you feel bad. Suppression causes the ego to spiral out of control. Negative energy will always be released when presented with the right opportunity.
4. You can master the process of ego destroying by accepting the fact that the ego is a part of you.
In fact, you need the ego to survive and grow. However, you have got to put the ego in its place. When you seek to suppress the ego, you suppress the most natural parts of who you are. You become less creative and spontaneous, and you just can’t relax and live in the moment. If you’re having problems with suppression, just let go. Go wild and learn how to live in the moment. You need to understand chaos theory and that creation stems from a disorder.
5. You can master the process of ego destroying by surrendering control.
Your ego wants to turn you into a control freak. Control freaks are looking for pets, not friends. They want to tame people by keeping them on a short leash. After all, it is best to not let them wander too far. Egos want to surround themselves with people who will obey, sit at their feet, and love them unconditionally. Fortunately, people can never be pets. If you want to stop treating people like pets, learn to be a giver. Also, learn how to appreciate people’s shortcomings and mistakes. You need to learn how to use experiences as life lessons that will enable you to become a better person.
6. You can master the process of ego destroying by training the ego to be less judgmental.
Sadly, control freaks have massive egos that cause them to be extremely judgmental. In fact, they only feel safe and comfortable when things are done their way. If you want to stop being controlling, ease up on the judgments. Start to accept everything and everyone as they are.
7. You can master the process of ego destroying by standing up to your ego when it acts like a bully.
Bullies are like the ill-reputed pit bull terrier. In many situations, they have been beaten and abused by their owners. Only, their owners in real life may be their parents, friends, and relatives. Your ego will approach every confrontation like it is a dogfight. It will bare its teeth and mangle anyone who poses a threat. Sadly, the ego is riddled with fear. It is in a constant state of fight or flight, so it is no longer able to think rationally. It solves its problems much like a fighting dog: by biting off its opponents’ heads and rolling them out of the ring once they’re dead.
8. Your ego wants to be your best friend.
If you have anger issues, are impulsive, short-tempered, have a lot of regrets, and treat people badly, you can combat this problem by facing your fears. The ego thrives on fear. Behind fear is the feeling of vulnerability. However, we can only allow ourselves to be vulnerable when we feel safe and secure. If you have issues with your ego, you need to figure out what’s triggering you to go into fight-or-flight mode. If you’re constantly feeling threatened, ask yourself why. Then start to reprogram your mind by visualizing yourself in a safe and secure place. The ego is a primordial part of the self. Many behaviors that are associated with the ego are instinctual and thus difficult to control. Ego destroying may be virtually impossible; however, the ego can be tamed by mastering these eight life-changing tips.
Ego States and Emotional Intelligence
by Dr. Pushpa Negi and Ms. Bhuvan Rai
In today’s 24×7 life all the professionals need to interact various kinds of people coming from different backgrounds with a different mindset.
Many times they lose their concentration and behave in a manner which may irritate the person interacting and also disturbs the person himself. These situations finally leave him in complete chaos. To overcome these kinds of problems, it is required to understand emotions of others and oneself as well and behave accordingly. When we start interacting somebody, we usually enter into an ego state that other is expecting from us. This study is conducted to know that whether the employees are able to handle the pressure or not so that they can control their emotions. The study was done keeping in mind the different ego states in different situations and their effect on the emotional intelligence of the employees working in banks. In the research, it was tried to find out whether there exists any difference in the emotional intelligence of various ego states. To evaluate both the variables of the study standardized questionnaires of Daniel Goldman for Emotional Intelligence (1998) and BobAvary & associates (2003) for Ego states were used. To compare EQ of different ego-states Z test was applied and the result shows EQ varies between child-parent and child-adult ego states whereas no difference exists between adult-parent ego states.
https://www.scribd.com/document/38540145/Ego-States-and-Emotional-Intelligence
Validity of transactional analysis and emotional intelligence in training nursing students
Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered a critical component of a nurse’s characteristic trait which is known as a significant predictor of a person’s job performance and life success.
Defining emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is defined in various ways. Salovey and Mayer (1990) described EI as the subset of social intelligence. EI is to discriminate among oneself and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions that involve the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions (2). Salovey and Mayer (1997) created a four-branch model of EI also known as the ability model, which is to “perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions.” To perceive is the most essential element that relates directly to the receptiveness of nonverbal communication; expression of emotion. The “use” of emotion is the capacity to allow emotions to enter and guide the cognitive system to prioritize a creative emotional response towards matters of importance. Emotions convey information; “understanding” emotions is the capability to read the message associated with the actions and determines the best course to manage the overloaded emotional situation. The ability to “manage” is to recognize emotional signals and decipher the information to maintain self-regulation within a person’s personal comfort zone (3). These components are considered the four building blocks for interpersonal and communication skills, which are critical in the nursing field. To identify and manage such actions is an undeniable skill-set.
Emotional intelligence: An invaluable skill set
EI is an indispensable skill-set. Practicing nurses have been found to be unprepared to handle emotionally laden situations and complex communication challenges encountered during practice (1). Nurses must have the ability to differentiate between a patient’s and his or her own emotions during communication. At times, a patient’s emotion may be perceived as anger when the true emotion is frustration because of his or her illness. A nurse must have the ability to identify, understand, and manage the situation while controlling herself/himself in order to pinpoint the correct way to respond; EI is an invaluable skill set to do so. The Agency for Healthcare Research Quality in partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services developed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of health care provider’s systems surveys to measure the patients’ experiences with hospital care. The International Journal of Nursing Practice (2010) shows data of patients reporting decreased satisfaction with nursing care in hospitals (4). Hospitals must find a way to recover patient dissatisfaction by rebuilding the nurse-patient emotional connection. Emotionally aware nurses are more apt to separate their emotions from distressed patients. Awareness and processing of emotions foster the nurses’ ability to remain focused on the patients’ needs and fully engage with clients rather than becoming detached or overwhelmed (5). Unless nurses are able to offer an emotionally intelligent response, the idealized state of a pleased patient may not be achievable.
Importance of silent communication
Efficient communication is the foundation to superior nursing skills, which affects the positivity of a patient’s outcome. It is important to understand how people perceive verbal communication during a conversation. Mehrabian’s interpretive theory explains the three types of communication a listener focuses on when an individual is speaking. The three forms of communication are divided into percentages to gain a clear understanding of which category has more prominence when speaking. The interpretive theory reveals; “words are valued at 7%, delivery (tone, accents on certain words, etc.) 38%, and facial expressions are most important at 55%” (6). The interpretive theory supports the significance of understanding nonverbal cues and the correlation between emotions and nonverbal communication. Mehrabian’s theory is parallel with the co-regulation theory in validating nonverbal communication as a critical skill-set in the nursing field.
Fogel is a professor in psychology and has been an active contributor to emotional intelligence research. Fogel’s co-regulation theory supports the importance of nonverbal communication and emotions. Understanding nonverbal communication can be conceived as a practical skill in the nursing field considering many patients only have this option to verbalize his or her needs. Fogel provided a simple explanation of co-regulation; he suggested that a speaker should adjust his/her words or tone of voice based on the perception of the listener’s facial expressions or body language, and this may occur on an ongoing basis (7). EI, the co-regulation, and interpretive theory have a correlation with understanding how people communicate, which can be understood by studying transactional analysis.
Definition of transactional analysis
Berne (1999) defines transactional analysis (TA) at its simplest level as a method for studying interactions between people. This psychotherapy was developed to help understand the process of communication and what ego state of mind a person may be conversing in while dealing with others. Ego states are examined with two separate models, structural and functional. The structural analysis is divided into three states: parent, adult, and child, which demonstrates how individuals relate to each other (6). The functional parent state is separated into the critical and nurturing parent. Critical ego is based on thoughts and feelings copied from parents or parent figures and the nurturing ego tends to be more protective. The adult ego state relates to thoughts and feelings in the here and now. The child ego state is based on “thoughts and feelings replayed from childhood” (8). Berne (1961) describes the child as having three different ego states with various functions, i.e. the adapted, free, and natural child. The child ego state triggers when a person feels his or her needs are going unmet and a defense mechanism takes over. The “child” is seen as a split between the adapted, natural, and free child. The “adaptive child” is portrayed as the survivor; the “free child” is portrayed as being very energetic, spontaneous, and creative. The “free child wants to do as he or she pleases by taking care of the physical need” (9). When communicating these ego states exists, a person can transfer from one state to another without notice. Nurses must understand how to detect this transference and become properly trained to manage the patient’s conversations in a time of illness.
Correlation between TA and effective communication
The interpretive and co-regulation theory and transactional analysis inner twine’s; there is a consistent relationship between the three. TA plays an important role in nursing that has gone unnoticed. TA has been successfully used in different professions to develop communication skills such as pharmaceutical lecture series. With a lack of understanding, the various levels of communication and the ability to adjust to fit the mind-set of the patient signals can become crossed and miscommunication can occur. Without the capability to recognize a person’s ego, state of mind and body language, there is a chance of compromising patient care.
The goal of Transactional Aanalysis
The goal of TA is to have all parties involved converse in the idealized state, which is adult to adult and it remains a challenge. Often a patient in a hospital may experience a feeling of his or her need being unmet and respond in the “free child” ego state of mind. This state can create frustrations for the nurse causing a reaction in the “critical parent” ego state. The feeling of annoyance can create crossed signals, ambiguity, and sarcasm can take over; the patient’s needs may go unfulfilled. If the nurse does not have the tools to manage emotions and adjust to fit the mindset of the patient, the idealized state is lost. This model will address the how, what, and why the deviation from the idealized state exists from self or the patient. This research has been an attempt to assess the effect of transactional analysis combined with emotional intelligence as a tool used in the nursing curriculum to educate nursing students early on. The expectation is to advance empathy and communication skills for student and veteran nurses, which in turn can create progress with patient outcomes and personal satisfaction.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235560/
According to Dr. Barn, we all have three sets of behavior or ego states: Parent, Adult, and Child.
Description of Transactional Analysis and Games by Dr. Eric Berne MD
Here is a book: Ego vs. EQ: How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps With Emotional Intelligence
While hallucinogens are associated with shamanism, it is alcohol that is associated with paganism.
The Atheist-Humanist-Leftist Revolutionaries Shows in the prehistory series:
Show two: Pre-animism 300,000 years old and animism 100,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”
Show tree: Totemism 50,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”
Show four: Shamanism 30,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”
Show five: Paganism 12,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”
Show six: Emergence of hierarchy, sexism, slavery, and the new male god dominance: Paganism 7,000-5,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Capitalism) (World War 0) Elite and their slaves!
Prehistory: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” the division of labor, power, rights, and recourses: VIDEO
Pre-animism 300,000 years old and animism 100,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO
Totemism 50,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO
Shamanism 30,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism”: VIDEO
Paganism 12,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Pre-Capitalism): VIDEO
Paganism 7,000-5,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Capitalism) (World War 0) Elite and their slaves: VIEDO
Paganism 5,000 years old: progressed organized religion and the state: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (Kings and the Rise of the State): VIEDO
Paganism 4,000 years old: related to “Anarchism and Socialism” (First Moralistic gods, then the Origin time of Monotheism): VIEDO
I do not hate simply because I challenge and expose myths or lies any more than others being thought of as loving simply because of the protection and hiding from challenge their favored myths or lies.
The truth is best championed in the sunlight of challenge.
An archaeologist once said to me “Damien religion and culture are very different”
My response, So are you saying that was always that way, such as would you say Native Americans’ cultures are separate from their religions? And do you think it always was the way you believe?
I had said that religion was a cultural product. That is still how I see it and there are other archaeologists that think close to me as well. Gods too are the myths of cultures that did not understand science or the world around them, seeing magic/supernatural everywhere.
I personally think there is a goddess and not enough evidence to support a male god at Çatalhöyük but if there was both a male and female god and goddess then I know the kind of gods they were like Proto-Indo-European mythology.
This series idea was addressed in, Anarchist Teaching as Free Public Education or Free Education in the Public: VIDEO
Our 12 video series: Organized Oppression: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of power (9,000-4,000 years ago), is adapted from: The Complete and Concise History of the Sumerians and Early Bronze Age Mesopotamia (7000-2000 BC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szFjxmY7jQA by “History with Cy“
Show #1: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Samarra, Halaf, Ubaid)
Show #2: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power
Show #3: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Uruk and the First Cities)
Show #4: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (First Kings)
Show #5: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Early Dynastic Period)
Show #6: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power
Show #7: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Sargon and Akkadian Rule)
Show #9: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Gudea of Lagash and Utu-hegal)
Show #12: Mesopotamian State Force and the Politics of Power (Aftermath and Legacy of Sumer)
The “Atheist-Humanist-Leftist Revolutionaries”
Cory Johnston ☭ Ⓐ Atheist Leftist @Skepticallefty & I (Damien Marie AtHope) @AthopeMarie (my YouTube & related blog) are working jointly in atheist, antitheist, antireligionist, antifascist, anarchist, socialist, and humanist endeavors in our videos together, generally, every other Saturday.
Why Does Power Bring Responsibility?
Think, how often is it the powerless that start wars, oppress others, or commit genocide? So, I guess the question is to us all, to ask, how can power not carry responsibility in a humanity concept? I know I see the deep ethical responsibility that if there is power their must be a humanistic responsibility of ethical and empathic stewardship of that power. Will I be brave enough to be kind? Will I possess enough courage to be compassionate? Will my valor reach its height of empathy? I as everyone, earns our justified respect by our actions, that are good, ethical, just, protecting, and kind. Do I have enough self-respect to put my love for humanity’s flushing, over being brought down by some of its bad actors? May we all be the ones doing good actions in the world, to help human flourishing.
I create the world I want to live in, striving for flourishing. Which is not a place but a positive potential involvement and promotion; a life of humanist goal precision. To master oneself, also means mastering positive prosocial behaviors needed for human flourishing. I may have lost a god myth as an atheist, but I am happy to tell you, my friend, it is exactly because of that, leaving the mental terrorizer, god belief, that I truly regained my connected ethical as well as kind humanity.
Cory and I will talk about prehistory and theism, addressing the relevance to atheism, anarchism, and socialism.
At the same time as the rise of the male god, 7,000 years ago, there was also the very time there was the rise of violence, war, and clans to kingdoms, then empires, then states. It is all connected back to 7,000 years ago, and it moved across the world.
Cory Johnston: https://damienmarieathope.com/2021/04/cory-johnston-mind-of-a-skeptical-leftist/?v=32aec8db952d
The Mind of a Skeptical Leftist (YouTube)
Cory Johnston: Mind of a Skeptical Leftist @Skepticallefty
The Mind of a Skeptical Leftist By Cory Johnston: “Promoting critical thinking, social justice, and left-wing politics by covering current events and talking to a variety of people. Cory Johnston has been thoughtfully talking to people and attempting to promote critical thinking, social justice, and left-wing politics.” http://anchor.fm/skepticalleft
Cory needs our support. We rise by helping each other.
Cory Johnston ☭ Ⓐ @Skepticallefty Evidence-based atheist leftist (he/him) Producer, host, and co-host of 4 podcasts @skeptarchy @skpoliticspod and @AthopeMarie
Damien Marie AtHope (“At Hope”) Axiological Atheist, Anti-theist, Anti-religionist, Secular Humanist. Rationalist, Writer, Artist, Poet, Philosopher, Advocate, Activist, Psychology, and Armchair Archaeology/Anthropology/Historian.
Damien is interested in: Freedom, Liberty, Justice, Equality, Ethics, Humanism, Science, Atheism, Antiteism, Antireligionism, Ignosticism, Left-Libertarianism, Anarchism, Socialism, Mutualism, Axiology, Metaphysics, LGBTQI, Philosophy, Advocacy, Activism, Mental Health, Psychology, Archaeology, Social Work, Sexual Rights, Marriage Rights, Woman’s Rights, Gender Rights, Child Rights, Secular Rights, Race Equality, Ageism/Disability Equality, Etc. And a far-leftist, “Anarcho-Humanist.”
I am not a good fit in the atheist movement that is mostly pro-capitalist, I am anti-capitalist. Mostly pro-skeptic, I am a rationalist not valuing skepticism. Mostly pro-agnostic, I am anti-agnostic. Mostly limited to anti-Abrahamic religions, I am an anti-religionist.
To me, the “male god” seems to have either emerged or become prominent around 7,000 years ago, whereas the now favored monotheism “male god” is more like 4,000 years ago or so. To me, the “female goddess” seems to have either emerged or become prominent around 11,000-10,000 years ago or so, losing the majority of its once prominence around 2,000 years ago due largely to the now favored monotheism “male god” that grow in prominence after 4,000 years ago or so.
My Thought on the Evolution of Gods?
Animal protector deities from old totems/spirit animal beliefs come first to me, 13,000/12,000 years ago, then women as deities 11,000/10,000 years ago, then male gods around 7,000/8,000 years ago. Moralistic gods around 5,000/4,000 years ago, and monotheistic gods around 4,000/3,000 years ago.
Damien Marie AtHope (Said as “At” “Hope”)/(Autodidact Polymath but not good at math):
Axiological Atheist, Anti-theist, Anti-religionist, Secular Humanist, Rationalist, Writer, Artist, Jeweler, Poet, “autodidact” Philosopher, schooled in Psychology, and “autodidact” Armchair Archaeology/Anthropology/Pre-Historian (Knowledgeable in the range of: 1 million to 5,000/4,000 years ago). I am an anarchist socialist politically. Reasons for or Types of Atheism
My Website, My Blog, & Short-writing or Quotes, My YouTube, Twitter: @AthopeMarie, and My Email: damien.marie.athope@gmail.com