Can someone have a very big sophisticated ego, and at the same time be free from all self-image issues? Conversely, can someone be in a state of total no-self and still have major self-image issues? My experience says yes to both questions, but that's a new distinction to me. I always thought there's a correlation between the two as if they're one thing, but that correlation seems delusional now. I always had the inclination to demonize the ego as something bad and unnecessary, due to cultural upbringing. But now after (another ) full deconstruction, things have taken another course and started going full-circle. Lately, I've been discovering the importance and value of the ego on an experiential level. And what's most shocking to me is that sometimes it seems that the ego is one of the best ways to fully heal the self-image from all insecurities, and that seems like a prerequisite, contrary to what I always thought. It's like the ego at a certain point becomes/starts turning into a powerful master that can take ownership of all of one's problems and then solve them. I'm still not completely sure, nor completely clear about this, at least not in the biggest picture possible, so I'm looking for more perspectives to explore. I feel like there's a certain series of insights surfacing for me here, but I'm not quite sure I get it. I mean if someone has a relatively little ego and a lot of self-image issues, to me that must indicate a miserable life (my parents as a prime example). On the other hand, if someone has a relatively big ego and not much self-image issues (Leo, I think), that means they're probably quite happy and successful. Most people, in this case, fall in the grey area in between on different lengths of the spectrum. What do you guys think?