Narcissism and excessive interest in oneself is one of the biggest problems threatening humanity at this time. We could also call it toxic selfishness or as author Paul Levy calls it, “malignant egophrenia,” in his book Dispelling Wetiko: Breaking the Curse of Evil. Narcissism is embedded in many aspects of our economy, our political system, our work, our families, and even intimate relationships. The world is suffering under an all “me, me, me” attitude with little to no “we” or “us” thinking. Our species has been overtaken by a force which only thinks about itself, consuming with no regard for all life on earth. I asked myself, “What then is the way out of all this selfishness?” The only way I know to break out is through loving the ego and accepting what is.
In a way, it makes sense that everyone has the tendency to take things personally and get lost in self-absorption. Some self-focus is inevitable, of course. We see through our own eyes only, not another person’s or animals’ eyes. Some of us are able to practice empathy more successfully while some of us can easily share and feel the feelings of another. Some of us move out of the ego entrenchment of self importance without difficulty while others may struggle to put ourselves in the shoes of another and practice empathy.
Trapped in Ego
We could say anyone who has not awakened fully to themselves is, in some ways, trapped in egotism. Most humans on this planet are stuck in some form of ego identity which is consuming them. The first step is to move away from viewing ego identity as abnormal and pathologizing this current condition. We can more easily change our current state when we simply accept it as it is. For example, if we accept that we are living in the state or country we are living in, then it becomes simple to move to another. When we accept the psychological state we are in, it becomes much easier to move to another state of being.
Let’s wake up to who we really are as fast as we possibly can. The best way to do this is to let go of any guilt we are carrying about our personal level of self-absorption. We all have this guilt because we are all self-absorbed to some degree. It’s really no big deal. Don’t take this having an ego thing so damn personally. That last sentence is a bit of a joke because the ego takes everything personally, which is how it traps us. The ego will continue to take things personally. Our work is to allow the ego to be the way it is, and not mind so much when it is activated and seeing the way life is happening to it from a self-centered position. We can intentionally center our life in the service of all beings. When we find ourselves in a place of self-absorption, we can simply return to our heart and open to the love. This gets us back on the horse of our deeper being and riding on our destiny path.
Take the Ego Universally
Once we stop taking the phenomenon of taking things personally so personally, we can accept ego universally as a representation of where humanity is right now. What if most or all of the human beings on the planet could wake up to who we really are together? Imagine a world where we end oppression and suffering for humanity. This would be a truly, never-before-experienced Great Awakening which would eclipse any other movements currently underway within human consciousness.
End Narcissism by Loving the Ego
The act of loving instead of denying our ego sets the antidote to narcissism in motion. When we embrace our ego with love, there’s no power compelling us to ego identify. The ego perpetuates its separateness by continuing the story that it will always be disconnected. We end this separation by knitting the ego together with the being through love in the moment. This must be a continual process and not simply a one-time event. By continuing to embrace and accept the ego in all its separateness, we become the one whole being that we truly are. We become interconnected with all that is.
I know that in many ways I’m simplifying the complex topic of narcissism. I understand that clinically diagnosable narcissism is not easily overcome. I believe that even the most ingrained form of narcissism can be treated if the person is willing to open their hearts and be vulnerable. However, this article is focused on the ego absorption tendencies that we all have toward narcissistic behavior.
Simply Accepting Where Humanity Is
Instead of viewing humanity’s malignant ego identification as a problem, we have to accept that this is simply where we are as a species. Once we fully accept this tendency in ourselves, we will no longer be identified with it. It’s time to end our selfish games and play a game that works for the good of all. Let’s join together to start a revolution in the heart of each individual and all of humanity so love truly prevails on planet earth and we can finally all feel honored to be a part of the human race.
Join the Revolution
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