The Absurdity of the Ego-mind

[Jacobsrw]

We all by now realise the deep ingenuity of the ego-mind. However, to know it conceptually and to be in observation of it is an entirely different matter. So sometime back I had quite a fruitful week where I observed moments the ego-mind co-opted consciousness. Here are some of my reflections and experiential insights.

These are but few of the infinite deceptions I observed the ego-mind utilising. These occur quite subtly and sometimes often throughout the day. Thankfully, I was able to seperate from my involvement within these moments and just be the observer.

Disclaimer: for those inclined to conduct spiritual policing, this is not a post to bash the ego but rather raise awareness. The point is to make the infinite deceptions of ego and mind more clearly conscious. Many of these deceptions are un-cognised let alone consciously observable and that’s implying one has the humility to admit them. Know that the ego-mind is endlessly creating deceptions and illusions. There is no end to them. It is like a self proliferating root that hijacks whatever is present. The ego-mind creates whatever illusions it desires, keep this in “mind”.

Enjoy.

Irrational Self-referential Logic

Boy oh boy does the ego-mind love this one. I had a moment where I was doing some research for a particular project and could see the ego-mind carefully making each selection for the research process. Each letter that was typed, the order of phrasing, the type or source, the source selected, the rationalisation of which source to select, the style an article was written in and whether it’s logic matched my understanding. All of this is biased and self-referential.

I began to see that all these dimensions of research were not a reflection of WHAT I was researching but rather WHO was researching. The entire research was a means to an end for the purpose of fulfilling the ego-mind. 

A complete utter bias to validate something that is un-validatable. The ego-mind can never know through logic since the limits of logic requires a self in order to conduct it and is by design limited to it. Thus, it is inherently self-aggrandising and myopic.

Even the most impartial approach to research inevitably relies upon a skewed view of the ego-mind. For one to make a selection one requires denouncing another. This is utter delusion.

Notice even to raise debate is self-referential. When one has disagreeableness to announce, it is done so via the already carefully selected information encoded by a ego-mind, otherwise, one would have no reason to debate. A debate is simply a conflict between two incongruent ego-minds self-referential viewpoints. Fascinating to observe.

Proximal Relevance

This is possibly one of the most absurd dimensions of the ego-mind. Essentially it is this: whatever is identified as closest to the ego-mind is most important. Whether, family, social group, community, nation, belief, appearance, the relevance of belief or paradigm and so forth. 

I was observing the movement of people and traffic as I strolled the street, and just noticed the utter carelessness each person appeared to have for the experience surrounding them. If a matter was no more than a few surrounding feet, the individual would go about their day. People were so engrossed in the what was closest to them. Whether that be speaking to a friend or listening to a tune, point at a storefront, all of it was done proximally. There was no meta-perspective taking.

No one noticed helpless people in the street, litter around them, the profundity of architecture or microscopic ecosystems nearby. We literally walk around all day mindlessly enclosed in reclused bubbles. Not one thing merely gains our attention unless it is proximally related to our interests.

Even just the intent to go view this forum is a heavily proximal endeavour based on how relevant the topics are to the one who is reading them. I notice my glazing over particular threads and selection of others and how each choice is determined by the relevance which applies to this ego-mind at hand. No choice is conducted from an absolute perspective because choice implies direction. Consciousness has no where to go it is already everywhere. Therefore, choice is only relevant to a limited ego-mind in which can only be in one place at a time in any given moment.

Self-preservation and Survival

Need I say more here. This became apparent when concerned about whether a situation would smooth over. I had been having a few business issues and in such a moment watched before my very eyes the ego-mind start worrying about how it will attain its money, how much loss it will be at, who will help, what assistance to seek in the future, the correct remedy for the situation and so on.

Each “problem” was related to whether there was something to survive. That being my project and relationship to it. Self survival was even which way to look at the situation. 

I could see that whether I saw it as a positive or negative was still a premise of survival. Both would fulfil the needs of an assumed need.

Human Species Bias

This one is a joy to observe. It is probably the must comical. This phenomenon is extremely noticeable when in debate. I noticed when I would assert the viewpoints of a convincing argument how de-monstrously naive it is to think only those that can be understood should be valued. I mean all viewpoints operate under a hidden assumption that they must be understandable and maintain a particular conveyance through human language. Just this in itself is a limiting flawed bias. I could see how caught we humans get in “human affairs”. How our viewpoints are completely predicated on the present situation we are in. 

Our moods are just products of human species bias. We have an implicit belief that humans are superior and this willingly justify any action that maintains this. 

I saw this in myself when I would consume food and assume that in order for my food to be consumed it must be properly organised through human manufacturing. I mean who objectively dictates that the production of food or any consumable for that matter is done correctly? if all it does is ensure that humans remain at the top of the food chain how, is this an objective consideration? Our entire consumerism is arbitrary and relative. There’s is no fair jury from which all living or inanimate things can contribute towards because we assume they do not have any wits to communicate it! Haha go figure, what is this but human species bias? 

These are only a few of the many I could remember. I’ll continue to add more if I can think of them.

Would love to hear others add additional deceptions that are noticeably experienced throughout the day ?

 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Jacobsrw