egoic behavior

 Egoic behavior is a pattern of thinking and acting that stems from a strong identification with the "I" or the self-concept. It's essentially acting from a false, mind-made self that is constantly trying to protect, defend, and enhance itself. This behavior is driven by an underlying fear and a sense of incompleteness.

The core of egoic behavior is the belief that "you" are your thoughts, emotions, possessions, accomplishments, social status, and personal history.

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Key Characteristics of Egoic Behavior

• The Need to Be Right: The ego identifies strongly with opinions and beliefs. When those beliefs are challenged, the ego perceives it as a personal attack, leading to arguments, defensiveness, and an intense need to prove the other person wrong.

• Comparison and Judgment: The ego strengthens its identity by comparing itself to others. This manifests as judging, criticizing, or gossiping about people to feel superior. It can also lead to envy and resentment when it perceives others as "better."

• Complaining and Victimhood: By complaining or feeling like a victim, the ego creates an identity for itself through its problems and grievances. It reinforces a sense of self by defining itself against an "other" (a person, a situation) that is perceived as the source of its suffering.

• Seeking Attention and Validation: The ego needs external validation to feel that it exists. This can take the form of constantly seeking praise, talking about one's achievements (or problems), or creating drama to be the center of attention.

• Reactiveness: Egoic behavior is often highly reactive. Because the ego is an insecure structure, it is easily threatened. This results in getting offended quickly, taking things personally, and having disproportionate emotional reactions to minor events.

• Identification with Possessions: The ego extends its sense of self to things it "owns." The more you have, the more you are. This is why losing a possession can feel like a diminishment of self.

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The Underlying Driver

The primary driver behind all egoic behavior is fear. It's the unconscious fear of being nothing, of not being good enough, or of annihilation. The ego is a survival mechanism of the mind that creates a story of "me" to counteract this deep-seated fear. Consequently, it operates from a sense of separation, creating a world of "me versus them," which is the root cause of most human conflict and suffering. 🧠