Reading something yesterday about the ego stuck with me: The mind is hyperactive and an addict. That's right, it's addicted to desire and wanting more. It's addicted to attaching meaning to things. And that's not all. It never stops.
So I read an interesting article about ego and addiction here by an ex-drug addict neuroscientist. If anything, I'm a workaholic for sure. And a studyaholic. But drug addiction allows an interesting look into the mind. And the concept of "ego fatigue" mentioned in the article: I totally get that. I have always said I can either diet or balance my budget, but I can't do both at once. Follow up on this post on what happens when your limbic system is destroyed... It seems we can't have a limbicectomy and function as regular humans :(
When I did my neuro term at the start of the year and I read about the limbic system I thought "Thats' the ego!" Hahaha. That's the back-seat driver of our mind that attaches meaning to things that says "Something's wrong" when all you're doing is sitting watching tv (ie I am too lazy, I should be doing this or that, the neighbours are too noisy etc). It's that part that causes you to break your willpower and somehow convince you it was a good idea to eat a whole block of chocolate to yourself. No-wonder the yogis starve themselves to reach nirvana - they're breaking the limbic system's control.
Well, this is my theory from a 2nd year med student.
So, yeh, the ego is a hyper-active addict. So what to do? My best advice I can give is to take notice. Notice it is the ego and not the real "you", the spiritual being. As Osho said in the link I put in my last post, the ego is a reflection of how other perceive you and therefore how you perceive yourself, but it is not your true self. Meditation, of course, is a way of doing a workout for the mind and strengthening the brain's ability to make better decisions than simply reflex reactions.
so why am I harping on about ego so much atm? I believe it is the centre of everything. If ego fatigue occurs, and I can't save and diet at the same time let alone have a healthy study habit, and my health goes downhill as a consequence, then doesn't it make sense that we deal with the ego? Maybe it doesn't because how I've written it. Also, in Buddhist philosophy, controlling our mindset is the only way to achieve happiness.
The next problem: How do we find motivation if the limbic system is the source of our motivation?
This is the question I always have unanswered: can there be great achievers in the world without ego? Or are we all going to live off our own vege-patches and be merry in our simplicity? Can we even help people without ego, because it feels good to help people?
Sorry for the rhetorical questions. I hate rhetorical questions.
I'll have to give my interim answer right now as something along the lines of finding the middle way. That would be Easterner for moderation.....
So I read an interesting article about ego and addiction here by an ex-drug addict neuroscientist. If anything, I'm a workaholic for sure. And a studyaholic. But drug addiction allows an interesting look into the mind. And the concept of "ego fatigue" mentioned in the article: I totally get that. I have always said I can either diet or balance my budget, but I can't do both at once. Follow up on this post on what happens when your limbic system is destroyed... It seems we can't have a limbicectomy and function as regular humans :(
When I did my neuro term at the start of the year and I read about the limbic system I thought "Thats' the ego!" Hahaha. That's the back-seat driver of our mind that attaches meaning to things that says "Something's wrong" when all you're doing is sitting watching tv (ie I am too lazy, I should be doing this or that, the neighbours are too noisy etc). It's that part that causes you to break your willpower and somehow convince you it was a good idea to eat a whole block of chocolate to yourself. No-wonder the yogis starve themselves to reach nirvana - they're breaking the limbic system's control.
Well, this is my theory from a 2nd year med student.
So, yeh, the ego is a hyper-active addict. So what to do? My best advice I can give is to take notice. Notice it is the ego and not the real "you", the spiritual being. As Osho said in the link I put in my last post, the ego is a reflection of how other perceive you and therefore how you perceive yourself, but it is not your true self. Meditation, of course, is a way of doing a workout for the mind and strengthening the brain's ability to make better decisions than simply reflex reactions.
so why am I harping on about ego so much atm? I believe it is the centre of everything. If ego fatigue occurs, and I can't save and diet at the same time let alone have a healthy study habit, and my health goes downhill as a consequence, then doesn't it make sense that we deal with the ego? Maybe it doesn't because how I've written it. Also, in Buddhist philosophy, controlling our mindset is the only way to achieve happiness.
The next problem: How do we find motivation if the limbic system is the source of our motivation?
This is the question I always have unanswered: can there be great achievers in the world without ego? Or are we all going to live off our own vege-patches and be merry in our simplicity? Can we even help people without ego, because it feels good to help people?
Sorry for the rhetorical questions. I hate rhetorical questions.
I'll have to give my interim answer right now as something along the lines of finding the middle way. That would be Easterner for moderation.....
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