Warning: Our ego has become entangled with the lamp post
“Ego is like your shadow, once you have a body you have a shadow. However, your shadow doesn’t get entangled with the lamp post?” Sadhguru
The nature of our shadow is determined by external factors; when the sun is directly above us, it is small, and when it’s low, it lengthens. This too should apply to our ego. Ideally, it should adapt to different circumstances. However, in today’s society, the line between our true self and the ego has grown increasingly blurred.
Social media, in particular, has fueled a self-centred fixation with ourselves and an intense desire to be noticed and acknowledged. People have become addicted to seeking constant validation, but primarily within their own like-minded circles.
Our ever-increasing fixation on likes and dislikes keeps us confined within an echo chamber. We are being conditioned to affix labels to everything, and form attachments to; people, religion, politics, ideologies, fashion, social classes, and even sexuality. This process moulds inflexible and limiting personalities with fragile egos. We find ourselves deeply wedded to our beliefs and opinions, often ready to blindly defend them at any cost.
It is increasingly clear that as we blur the boundary between self and ego, we struggle with truly understanding ourselves, making it challenging to attain balance and peace of mind.
Our thoughts wander in all directions, often straying where we’d rather they didn’t. The only solace lies in the fact that our internal meanderings remain hidden from the world unless posted on X…
Sadhguru once asked; imagine if your arm mirrored the erratic movements of your mind as it hops from one thought to another. Would you feel embarrassed by your arm’s behaviour? Might you believe something was amiss with it?
Similar to how consuming unhealthy food yields a negative outcome so does, attaching ourselves to an identity that does not actually represent us. When we latch onto these false aspects, they take control, leading to compulsive behaviour.
By recognising that we only grasp a mere fraction of reality, perhaps as little as 1%, and acknowledging our limited comprehension of the world, we naturally foster curiosity and open-mindedness.
Letting go of our attachments and labels will free us from the ego’s grip, transforming it into a useful tool rather than an intrinsic part of ourselves. This empowers us to remain flexible in our thinking, engage in critical thought, and respect the perspectives and ideas of others, even when they diverge from our own.
Essentially, we become disentangled from the lamppost.