The Ego, the gym, and the self.

[Troyc]

Hi, I'm new to this forumn, but have been watching Leo's videos for a while now. One, of a few, question/s that keeps popping up for me is regarding ego, or the ego as I know or thought I knew it meant, IE, ego being one's ego, or being egotistical. I can't wrap my head around the differences in ego often spoke of in Leo's videos. 

And also Leo speaks of not following the ego, but then suggests going to the gym and working out? Isn't that ego?

I have been going to the gym and workout often, and have for many years, but I'm going through a phase of asking myself why I'm doing it? It makes me feel good, makes me feel confident and strong, but I battle with the thought that this type of 'external' confidence is brittle.

For example if I injure myself and can't workout for a longtime I get depressed and loose motivation to eat well and my confidence and self esteem takes a beating - so that itself says to me that the external action of going to the gym is like a band-aid for my self confidence and happiness, without it I feel depressed.

I'm not having a go at Leo, just trying to understand and hopefully get some advice/answers.

Please keep things in laymen terms, I'm not the best with comprehension. 

Thanks in advance

PS, my theory is all my sadness, emptiness and frustration comes down to the fact that I have struggled most of my life with anxiety and panic attacks, which has stopped me from pursuing my dream of world travel. 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Troyc

[SBB4746]

So you can keep the body and mind healthy which allows you to raise your consciousness levels with more ease (provided you do the correct practices). There's more reasons than just doing it to look good or attract girls.

Edited August 15, 2018 by SBB4746

[Osm]

38 minutes ago, Outer said:

Also, lifting weights helps you with self-inquiry if you choose to pursue it.

Wait what!

[Troyc]

@SBB4746 Yeah, I've thought of this and it helps a little, I appreciate your input. Thanks.

[Troyc]

@Outer Sorry Outer, I don't understand what you are saying. Could you please rephrase your response? Thank you.

[Troyc]

@Outer I still don't know what you mean by 'the term ego is a distraction'? Maybe, if you wouldn't mind could you break down more simply what it means?

I understand you second part about pursuing self-inquiry, but I don't see how weightlifting will assist? I'm sure there aren't many, if any, enlightened Buddhist monks in the mountains lifting weights? 

Thanks again, look forward to your reply.

[Widdle Puppy]

Been through almost the exact same situation and one very important point about life and growth in general is you have to get comfortable with these paradoxes and contradictions that come up. Yes it might have aspects of a bandaid but it also builds willpower. It's your decision to make and when this resolves itself for you you will know what to do but I will say right now you should keep going until then!

That new squat or bench record won't make you happy and that grind you put in for it sometimes question it all like what's the point and yes this is true but there is also another side to the coin

On the other hand going builds this willpower, makes you healthy and gives you this confidence to take more risks and try new things. That could lead to other realizations.

This is why I go and prioritize it. I know it won't make me happy but it always motivates me to go forward and build this willpower and through this action it lays out sort of a model for me of persistence to continue taking action. 

 

[Troyc]

@Outer I'm sorry Outer, I think that you might be too intelligent for me, your wording is going way over my head.

[Troyc]

@Widdle Puppy Hey thanks very much for your response mate, I do like weight training/keeping fit, and have been doing it for almost 17 years. I'm also a personal trainer! Go figure. I'm just going through a phase where I don't want to be part of an industry that can be very narcissistic, but I too am one of those you could argue.

My main point/question was mostly regarding Leo's rhetoric of we shouldn't follow our ego, but on the other hand has videos about eating healthy and going to the gym?! 

 

[ajasatya]

On 15/08/2018 at 4:12 AM, Troyc said:

I have struggled most of my life with anxiety and panic attacks

what is the root cause of your anxiety?

[11modal11]

@Troyc  Ego only exists conceptually. There are many definitions on what it means, and in pretty much all of these literally only the ego can monitor ego. As soon as the idea of ego comes up generally ego is present. Anyone who says something about the ego is utilizing ego. Fuck all the ego bs. I fell into the trap of suppression, its not fun. do what makes you happy. If you are acknowledging you have an ego than your are acknowledging that it is not you anyway, but you CAN have "an ego" without identifying with it. In fact it is essentially impossible to engage with or create any change in the world without an ego by most definitions. 

[Moreira]

Talking about gym, do you know Elliot hulse? Ego is what destroyed him.

He started in stage green, giving advices  trying to make peoples life better. He was about bioenergetics, yoga,breathing and spirituality.

Then he centered his content on strenght and didnt talk about spirituality anymore, he started to sell books and material more expensive, he wrote a booke the king, calling himself a king, pumping his ego, more narcissistic and focused on finances and success, he backslided to stage oragne.

Edited August 16, 2018 by Moreira

[11modal11]

@Moreira your ego is literally what made that judgement...

[11modal11]

@Moreira he could not have helped a single person without an ego, there is so much fucking irony surrounding the talk of an ego it is ridiculous. I'm done with it. ego exists in some capacity within infinity at least conceptually, get over it, only ego can judge ego or anything for that matter. 

[11modal11]

in fact realization and ego are not even mutually exclusive. You can wear any ego at any time like jacket, its actually fun try it sometime. You can be a rockstar, or a homeless person, or even a cat, or, everything, or nothing.

[11modal11]

im actually egoing as a chimpanzee right now in my living room!

[11modal11]

@Moreira I think this chimpanzee ego qualifies as stage red...is that not good enough for your ego, should I create a green ego to live up to your ego's standards ;)?

Edited August 16, 2018 by 11modal11

[11modal11]

also no offense but there is a lot of stuff that can hurt people going on on here, the poor guy just wanted to go to the gym and wouldn't have thought anything of it normally but now has to run it through all these filters and judgements causing increased suffering, that doesn't sound like enlightenment 

Edited August 16, 2018 by 11modal11

[waking_dreams]

@Troyc Heyo, I'm a personal trainer too! The experience you described of having an injury and then feeling depressed from not being able to lift for a while is something that some competitive bodybuilders experience. They can become so attached to their sport and their body that they identify with it completely.  Then, when their career ends either from age or injury, they can become depressed as they try to cling to the bodybuilder identity they attached themselves to. 

Does that mean you shouldn't have a bodybuilder identity? Not at all. That identity helps propel people to build incredible physiques. The problem is when we become too attached to our identities as athletes. One helpful solution was offered by @11modal11, which is the idea that you can switch between many identities as it suits you without becoming attached to any of them. Be like water, become the shape of the vessel you fill.  

 

Edited August 16, 2018 by waking_dreams
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[ChimpBrain]

An important thing to note is your own motivation for hitting the gym. Is it extrinsic or intrinsic? Are you more concerned with how people perceive your physique or level of strength, or are you working out so you'll feel better, live longer, be able to stay active with your kids, be more attractive to your wife, etc..? If your primary drive for working out is a negative "I don't want to lose my gains or people won't value me as much", or "I've got to get shredded for pool season or my friends will think less of me", or "I don't feel like hitting the gym today but I know I'll be so disappointed in myself if I don't go", or anything negative like that, this is a problem you'll want to address. 

 

Also, in my experience, going to the gym has the potential to drastically strengthen one's ego. That why I stopped going and started lifting at home. Lifting at the gym for most people will cause a lot of self consciousness, mental comparisons, judgements, nutrition/fitness ideologies, jealousy, lust, fake surface conversations, role playing, etc., that could otherwise be avoided. All of these things strengthen the ego.