Necessary or excessive ego damage for sufficient ego development?

[NK13]

Going through personal development journey, I'd assume most people would have to step outside their comfort zone and expose themselves to unpleasant experiences they fear, whatever their goal might be, it's necessary. Just like hitting the gym and intentionally damaging the muscle, solely for the reason they'll be stronger, we cause damage to the ego and peel off its layers and reconstruct stronger ones by exposing ourselves to such experiences. My question is how do you determine where it gets extreme and it might hurt you more than it actually helps? and where do you draw the line? I'd like to compare it with a soldier who gets back with ptsd from war. 

[Blackbeat]

Hard to tell at my lowish level, ngl. When it lands you in obvious trouble, or people seem worried, that's why you take a step back and reevaluate in a good enviroment. Take notes too if you  have to.

[Kamo]

3 hours ago, NK13 said:

Going through personal development journey, I'd assume most people would have to step outside their comfort zone and expose themselves to unpleasant experiences they fear, whatever their goal might be, it's necessary. Just like hitting the gym and intentionally damaging the muscle, solely for the reason they'll be stronger, we cause damage to the ego and peel off its layers and reconstruct stronger ones by exposing ourselves to such experiences. My question is how do you determine where it gets extreme and it might hurt you more than it actually helps? and where do you draw the line? I'd like to compare it with a soldier who gets back with ptsd from war. 

@NK13 Well, it depends on so many factors. You gotta be specific. Lumping your question to encompass the entire personal development journey will not give us a good way to answer your question. Some aspects you can go as extreme as you want with little repercussions and others will get you into serious trouble or even death. So it depends. Are you talking about developing technical skills. is it meditation, is it psychedelics is it social skills and dating? Is it understanding your existential nature? Overall you will know when something is too extreme because the effects will be obvious.

[Kamo]

@NK13 Also I have been to the war in Afghanistan so your analogy there is still not specific enough to understand what your asking?

[Leo Gura]

3 hours ago, NK13 said:

My question is how do you determine where it gets extreme and it might hurt you more than it actually helps?

That's simple: trauma.

If an experience traumatizes you then it sets you back.

Take as much of a beating as you can up to the point where you get trauma or massive ego backlash.

And so if it harms your health, that's going too far.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Leo Gura