Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Speaking Tree Website | September 28, 2015
Ego is an innate faculty of every human being. Ego has a very important role to play in the personality of every man and woman. This is because ego is the source of self-consciousness. Ego is the source of conviction, confidence and determination. In this sense, ego is a great strength of every human being. Thus, ego is a healthy phenomenon. In the absence of the ego-spirit man cannot do anything, and as far as great achievement is concerned it is wholly impossible without the ego-spirit.
This is the positive aspect of ego. But, at the same time there is a negative aspect of ego. It is this aspect of ego that creates problem. Every human being is a social animal. Man has to live among people – in family or outside the family. In other words, social living is every person’s intrinsic requirement. It is this social contact that leads problems. When one is alone one’s ego is in the dormant position. But when one is in society, one is bound to come into contact with other people. Due to this, every moment there is chance to experience that kind of situation which is called ‘ego problem’.
Every person is like a rose plant, in that he has a “flower content” and at the same time he has a “thorn content”. It is this double sagacity of every person that should be accepted as a reality. When a person comes into contact with the flower content of another, he remains normal. However, when he comes into contact with the thorn content of the other person, his ego is flared up. It is but natural to have this kind of double experience in social life. You have to accept the thorn in the same way that you accept the flower. Failing in this one will have to suffer irreparable loss.
Then what should be done in such a situation? One has to learn the art of ego management. Ego management is the only solution to this problem. Ego management is the price of social living. Every commodity has an inevitable price, without paying this price you cannot acquire that commodity. So is the case of the benefits of social living. If you want to enjoy the benefits of social living you will have to learn the art of ego management. Managing one’s ego is the price one has to pay to receive social benefits.