"The Ego Is Our Greatest Enemy Of All, You Are Your Own Worst Enemy'

I'm not exactly sure of the definition of ego in these discussions. But I think it is The or part of the system responsible for piecing together/interpreting reality. It combines fragments of the mind/brain and processed input from the senses into a single virtual entity. Sounds like the definition consciousness itself, but it is merely a filtering system that keeps the consciousness from overloading.

To me, the popular idea of fighting against or dissolving the ego altogether sounds ludicrous. Why would anyone want this? In the case of true 'ego death', your senses would cease to function, as your conciousness wouldn't know what to do with the signals, it wouldn't even be able to recognize the signals at all. It's like, on the physical, hardware side, your brain would be working fairly normally, while on the software side, everything has gone completely unstable, like the software didn't even exist anymore. Reality wouldn't exist anymore, in any shape or form.

So in essence, I believe the ego is fundamental in our existence.

reply to post by MassOccurs
if I could give a handful of stars and flags I would, not to inflate your ego but to say I see the truth in what you say. The ego is like a car, what good does it do when we stick a knife in to the tyres? The ego is simply a vehicle, that is useful thats why everyone has got one.For me the devil is a type of energy that gets pleasure out of tricking people to do what they normaly wouldnt do.In believing things they dont need to and that lead people on the pathway of doubt. Doubt leads to a towm called "even more doubt" and once you reach there ........... well I am sure you can all imagine.

One thing I'd like to remind people of - to be human in this world, we need an ego, so don't be too enthusiastic to part with yours. I hear stuff like like "ego dissolution" etc. and people don't know what that is because if they'd ever ACTUALLY annihilated their ego, like I did once, they'd KNOW it and they'd remember it! The conscious mind rises from the unconcious. The ego rises from the conscious mind. It's like a periscope that rises up out of the conscious mind and looks at the world it lives in. You NEED that periscope.

Unfortunately, ego has also completely become a tyrant and wants total control. It's not just a matter of being egotistical, but of interpreting all of life and all of one's identity to be ONLY that part of the self, which is a very small part.

Originally posted by TheProphetMark

Gangster music - These people tend to act like they really are gangster.

Actually......

Besides being one of Corredor’s biggest distributors in the Kansas City area, Jones was a local rap artist and owner of Block Life Entertainment. “Corredor invested from $200,000 to 250,000 in Block Life Entertainment, and allowed Jones to live rent-free in one of his residential properties. Jefferson was also a rap artist and one of Corredor’s distributors,” according to the DEA. As Jones was enjoying his successful relationship with Corredor he did not keep a low profile, and his boss dit not mind. During those years Jones and his gang made a lot of noise promoting their music and label. A lot of it can still be found online. YouTube has many music videos (see below) of the coc aine hustler turned rapper and his entourage of intimidating friends and sexy female companions. The label’s MySpace page not only shows promotional photos but also contains photos of the gang's luxury automobiles.

Full-Time Gangsters Part-Time Rappers

Many rappers ARE gang affiliated.

Originally posted by sonnny1

Originally posted by TheProphetMark

Gangster music - These people tend to act like they really are gangster.

Actually......

Besides being one of Corredor’s biggest distributors in the Kansas City area, Jones was a local rap artist and owner of Block Life Entertainment. “Corredor invested from $200,000 to 250,000 in Block Life Entertainment, and allowed Jones to live rent-free in one of his residential properties. Jefferson was also a rap artist and one of Corredor’s distributors,” according to the DEA. As Jones was enjoying his successful relationship with Corredor he did not keep a low profile, and his boss dit not mind. During those years Jones and his gang made a lot of noise promoting their music and label. A lot of it can still be found online. YouTube has many music videos (see below) of the coc aine hustler turned rapper and his entourage of intimidating friends and sexy female companions. The label’s MySpace page not only shows promotional photos but also contains photos of the gang's luxury automobiles.

Full-Time Gangsters Part-Time Rappers

Many rappers ARE gang affiliated.

I'm not talking about rappers. I'm talking about the listeners. Just look how our youth dresses nowadays, and I'm most of these kids have an ego and actually believe they are gangster.

reply to post by MassOccurs

I think you make a very good point. I believe that "dissolve the ego" came about because that is what it feels like. Maybe a more accurate description would be to "pause the ego". Its not melting away into nothing or being eradicated but just suspended for a moment.

Originally posted by TheProphetMark


I'm not talking about rappers. I'm talking about the listeners. Just look how our youth dresses nowadays, and I'm most of these kids have an ego and actually believe they are gangster.

Some. Not all.

Question.

What music, do you define,as worthy to listen to?

You are largely right about the ego being our worst enemy. It is the illusion that is keeping us trapped.
Satan is also an illusion, a collective illusion if you will

About the music, there is/has been a spiritual battle going on on a conscious and unconscious level for quite a while now. There ar alot of lyrics that come from the writers unconscious higher self to put messages in music to communicate with other persons conscious and unconscious. Sometimes to wake them up so to speak.
On the other hand I`m sure there are songs with subliminal messages to keep the masses in the ego (seperation)illusion. but the latter are far less effective.

But never mind, the energy that fules the ego will come to a halt very soon and the love energies will swoop the planet thank god.

reply to post by TheProphetMark

OK...I admit I have a Massive Ego. But I have to have it for what I do. Just because a person has a large Ego does not mean that the person must be a slave to that ego. When you talk about the Music Industry...and I am in it...I can agree that some songs can Get People Off on a sense of Power. This is fine if not carried to extremes.

If I am driving down the road and a Heavy Rock song comes on the Radio such as say a Metallica or AC DC song...I will most definitely be getting an adrenaline rush as I listen. That does not mean I have to act in a Violent Fashion to the Songs effect upon me.

The same can be said for a Hip Hop Gagsta Rapper Song. It is the individual who is at fault to react in a Violent way although I am well aware of the Music Industries Love of Publicity as this East Coast/ West Coast thing has gotten WAY OUT OF HAND! There is also a difference between having a songs lyrics encouraging youths to behave in a manner that is violent.

OZZIE wrote songs...as Heavy as they were musically and Powerful in the feelings they gave to his listeners...with lyrics about LOVE and ANTI-WAR such as the Black Sabbath song WAR PIGS demonstrates.
Here is a quote for that song...Day of judgement GOD is calling...On their knees the WAR PIGS crawling. Begging mercy for their Sins...SATAN laughing spreads his wings!

This is apposed to many Gangsta Hip Hop songs that have names such as COP KILLER or words that denote the Black Minorities struggle with Fair and Equal Treatment...but when the Lyrics turned to direct verbal challenges and attacks upon Fellow Hip Hop/ Rap Artists all for the sake of Publicity but this took on a life of it's own and a REAL WAR began over an Artist Jumping Labels or Mafia Style Determination over who could do what and with who as well as where when and how. As well as development of Territories of what Label an Artist could sign with depending on where they were from...it just completely got out of hand and even fans were choosing sides.

It is unfortunate that Minority owned Labels fell into a Profiling Style Violent Behavior that was not discouraged from the beginning by Majority White Music Industry Money Makers and Marketing. What really made things over the top STUPID is when both Artists and Fans started the Gun Carrying Sideways Handgun Pointing Hold which for anyone who has been trained in Weapons...as I have...can tell you that this decreases your probability of actually hitting your chosen target.

The Band...TOOL wrote a song that had lyrics about this subject....continued....Split Infinity
p.s....I will have to represent the profane words of the song.

reply to post by SplitInfinity
continued...
Learn to swim.

F@#k L Ron Hubbard and
F@#k all his clones.
F@#k all these gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Learn to swim.

F@#k retro anything.
F@#k your tattoos.
F@#k all you junkies and
F@#k your short memory.

Learn to swim.

F@#k smiley glad-hands,
With hidden agendas.
F@#k these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

Learn to swim.

Part of the Lyrics to the song AENIMA by TOOL Split Infinity

reply to post by SplitInfinity

Continued....As it pertains to this topic...since I am in the Music Business as well as help run several Family owned Companies as well as a Third Job that...although I am "CIVILIAN" in the way the Quoted denote...I work from time to time with some of the BEST of the U.S. Military.

In all these capacities...it is a necessity to have a Massive Ego to be able to do my Jobs. That does not mean that my Ego gets in the way of making decisions that are best for the whole...but it does mean that I must use that Ego to be Alpha and dominate decision making in order to get the best result of any taken action. If there is someone who has an idea that I consider better than mine...I have NO EGO in the matter and use this idea. But when there are circumstances which dictate that a certain way must be used to get proper..AND SAFE results...my Ego is key in Forcing my will upon dissenters who believe they know best but I am certain that they do not.

Thus Ego without experience or flexibility in KNOWING that there maybe an alternative that is better than another's plan or idea...is an EGO RUN WILD! I have experienced this often in all aspects of my work as some would rather Force their will upon others without taking a suggestion into consideration that may be better suited for the issue.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the Music Industry. Even the Military or the Civilian Arm associated to it is not so Egotistical to have leaders who think they know everything. In the Music Business...a person who just a short while previous who was singing in their Trailer or living in their Car...get's a break and becomes all the rage as the Industry now days is more interested in Manufacturing Stars than signing Creative Talent. A Manufactured Star is at first easily controlled by contract but as this young person realizes that regardless of contract...they can cost the industry Multiple Millions by pretending to be sick or other issues...can gain control and force the industry to decide whether it is better to cut them loose or lose Multiple Millions in pre-booked shows. THIS is where I have seen EGO GROW to such proportions that it boggles the mind! Not that I think that they should not be paid fairly for their money generation but when they become so Egocentric that EVERYTHING and ANYTHING must revolve around them...thus Hard Working P.A.'s...Personal Assistants...become Kicking Targets and CD Release Party's...which I have to by contract go to 4 a year...become LOOK AT ME! I AM AWESOME! Events...then this is the Worse of a person come to life via ego.

It will eventually become self-destructive as we have all seen happen with Artists who came from Humble beginnings but get a taste for POWER and start to believe they can do or get away with ANYTHING! Thus the arrest and Rehab and missing court dates...blowing off Probation Meetings...and eventual Drug and Alcohol CRASHES. Some learn and rebuild...some don't learn and go through the process again and again until you get a Dead Artist.

So again...YES...I have a MASSIVE EGO...but I use it and it is a necessity. If I did not have it...I could not do what I do. The KEY is...use IT...don't let it use YOU! So I do not agree that it is a persons GREATEST ENEMY...nor do I believe that a person is their own Worse Enemy...but it can be and you can be...but what is REALLY THE ENEMY is NOT KNOWING WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE. The Person and especially Artists who do not know who and what they are and where they came from are LYING to themselves as this EGO they have created is a WALL that they have built around themselves. Not to prevent people to come in...but to prevent they...themselves from getting OUT! They do not want to remember who and what they still are or where or what they have done. You can see this wall especially surrounding those who use only ONE NAME. Or refer to themselves in the THIRD PERSON. Think about that? When a person refers to themselves in the third person it is a Psychological TELL that they KNOW deep down inside that this person they refer to...IS NOT THEM! It is a CREATION! It is a MYTH! As they speak the words to the media..."WHAT DOES LADY @# %& WANT MOST OF ALL?" "SHE WANT'S HER FANS TO LOVE HER OF COURSE!" "NOW GO GET ME A CRYSTAL BOWL OF M&M'S!" As a Personal assistant scrambles she yells..."MAKE SURE YOU PICK OUT ALL THE BROWN ONES!" "LADY @# %& DOES NOT EAT RAT DROPPINGS!" "GO! GET YOUR ASS MOVING!" As some poor Girl runs to her car and to the nearest store and hand picks out all the brown M&M's...only to come back and hear..."DID YOU USE LATEX GLOVES?" The assistant replies..YES! LADY @# %& replies. "YOU STUPID BITCH!" "DO YOU WANT ME TO DEVELOP AN ALLERGY TO LATEX!?" "GO DO IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME USE A SURGICAL HEMOSTAT!" "AND DON'T CHIP THE CANDY COATING!" "GO! GO! GO!..." Split Infinity

Originally posted by fallow the light
The ego needs food. You can fill it up with ether good food or bad food. You feed it with greed or pride and you find your ego controlling your every move. If you fill it with understanding or compassion your ego will allow you to see it and give you the chance to control it.

When some one downs your character you tend to get upset. This is because the ego has pride and feels like it is in danger and lashes out. If you understand that this is the ego talking, you can step away from your self and choose what emotion you would like.

Those that have been controlled by pride and greed in their ego, have a harder time taking back that control.

Don't feed the ego Mc, Donalds. Feed it garden greens

I couldn't have explained it better

The ego is a realm of borrowed ideas, that are manifested through the ability to immitate and to pretend - in that sense, just realise that it is not your "true mind" although it does interface with it.