Understanding Ego In The New Paradigm

Ego is often a very vague and foreign concept for many people. It is often difficult to identify one's own ego, as it is a complex and ever-changing structure. It is often seen as a force that drives people to act in certain ways, but it is difficult to understand how it works and why it has such a powerful influence on behavior. For instance, a person may act in a certain way because of their ego, but they may not even be aware of it and instead believe that their actions are motivated by something else.

So, what is the ego, and why does it play such a big role in my life? As confusing as any psychological term, ego is no exception. Ego is not only used to refer to several different psychological constructs and processes, but there are also many concepts that involve the word in some way-egotism, ego-defense, egocentrism, superego, ego-involved.

In reality, what does ego mean? How does the ego work? Among all the terms in which the term ego is embedded, what is their difference? As with this previous string of sentences, you can view the ego as either a questioning device or a gatekeeper, depending on your perspective. Yes, forming perspectives is THE purpose of the ego.

Put simply, the English word "ego" is the Latin word for “I.” Literally translated, ego means “I.” (If you were writing “I love you” in Latin, you’d write ego amo te.) Therefore, the ego is how we see both ourselves, and how we view the world. And it’s especially how we show ourselves love, under healthy development.

In psychology, Sigmund Freud was largely responsible for the use of "ego". Freud's theory describes the ego as the part of our personality that arbitrates between our animalistic desires and our moral and social standards. However, the word "ego" does not appear anywhere in Freud's extensive writings. He never used it. Rather, ego was a translation of what Freud, writing in German, called "das Ich"—literally "the I." Freud was referring to your ego as the conscious, decision-making part of yourself that you regard as “I,” such as when you say, “I dislike my mother,” “I decided to change jobs,” or “I dreamt my house was on fire last night.”

You might also consider egocentrism. Egocentrism has been used in a variety of ways over the years, but at its core, it refers to how one perceives and interprets the world. Each of us is intrinsically egocentric in the sense that we cannot escape our physical vantage point (I can only perceive the world from my physical location in space) or our personal, psychological perspective, which is influenced by our experiences, goals, beliefs, identities, preferences, and biases.

Depending on who you ask, people are different when it comes to stepping outside their own perspective to see things from others' perspectives. Therefore, we're all confined to our egocentric viewpoints since we can only perceive information through our personal lenses, or 'filters'. For example, someone with a religious background may interpret a situation much differently than someone who is an atheist, due to their individual set of beliefs and experiences.

However, it is possible for people to step outside of their egocentric perspective and view things from other perspectives. This is known as 'perspective-taking' and is something that can be learned and practiced. Perspective-taking allows people to see the world from other people's points of view and can help to reduce misunderstandings and conflict.

Jung saw the ego as the center of the field of consciousness, and the bearer of personality. He noted that people differ in the conscious use they make of four functions, and that each attitude operates in relation to the introversion or extraversion of the person. He established that The ego is the bearer of personality and stands at the junction between the inner and outer worlds.

According to Jung, people differ in their conscious use of four functions, namely, thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. In any individual, one of these functions is superior and is therefore more highly developed than other functions, since greater use is made of it, but each attitude operates in relation to the introversion or extraversion of the person, as well as in conjunction with other less dominant functions, giving a number of different theoretical possibilities.

This means that each individual uses different combinations of these four functions to make decisions and interpret information; however, one of these functions usually stands out as being the dominant one. This dominant function is the one that is most comfortable and natural for the individual to use - Essentially, confirmation bias.

In his view, the way in which people relate to inner and outer worlds varies based on their attitude type: extraverts are more focused on the outer world, while introverts are primarily concerned with the inner. We have since learned that our personalities are much more complex or varied, and that this ‘richness’ of character also filters and colors our view.

Both Freud and Jung saw these states, and the personality itself, as stagnant and unchanging. They were inborn, and hard wired in a large degree - unchanging and immovable. We have largely clung to these core tenants as a society for over 100 years. That is until Jane Loevinger came along to shift the persecutive, offering how the ego occurs in various degrees, and can be shaped throughout nine consecutive phases or stages of development.

Loevinger's stages of ego development are proposed by developmental psychologist Jane Loevinger (1918-2008) and conceptualize a theory based on Erik Erikson's psychosocial model and the works of Harry Stack Sullivan (1892-1949) in which the ego was theorized to mature and evolve through stages across the lifespan as a result of a dynamic interaction between the inner self and the outer environment.

Loevinger's theory contributes to the delineation of ego development, which goes beyond the fragmentation of trait psychology and looks at personality as a meaningful whole. Therefore, describing the ego as a process, rather than a thing; it is the frame of reference (or lens) one uses to construct and interpret one's world. This contains impulse control and character development with interpersonal relations and cognitive preoccupations, including self-concept.

How do we evolve and elevate into those higher states of ego development?

Under this concept of ego, there is no bigger or smaller ego - as we often hear of within popular culture. Only under-developed stages of egoic evolution. Transforming through our lower phases of ego development (yes, do develop these phases, rather then neglecting or killing it) is an action of mutual comparison, whereby, we utilize unhealthy social and self-comparisons. We view these phases through a limiting range of frameworks and filters that are under-serving and fragile stages of our egoic development - therefore, they inherently signal an underlying insecurity.

The more expansive process of advanced stages of development are more like developing a photograph. The longer our exposure, the more we develop into that clearer picture. The wider our healthy ‘window of tolerance’ becomes; and the more we are able to consider differing perspectives, both of ourselves, and in how we consider the rest of the world.

Susanne R. Cook-Greuter is an independent scholar who is recognized for her ground-breaking work in ego development theory and the function of language in meaning making. She has a doctorate in human development and psychology from Harvard.

In Cook-Greuter's view, the ego oversees a basic human desire - the desire to interpret our experience and make sense of it. As we experience everything, the ego tries to integrate it all into a coherent whole - to form a clearer picture. According to her Ego Development Theory (EDT), the ego is the ‘meaning maker’ and the ‘storyteller’ of what we perceive. Throughout this process, there are certain major steps. Development is the process by which we make sense of reality and make sense of it in a meaningful way.

In this regard, the ego is at the core of human behavior. It's so fundamental that most people seem to overlook it, and it seems to be a common mistake. Understanding that the stories we tell about life are directly related to our ego development is a paradigm shift in thinking.

It is under this 'new paradigm' that we can begin to see the ego as an asset rather than a hindrance. Cook-Greuter's view suggests that our ego can be seen as a tool for growth rather than something that restricts our potential. By understanding how our ego shapes our worldview, we can begin to see how our stories about life can be used to develop our sense of self. This helps us to better understand ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world. 

• Within both the discoveries of Loevinger, and Cook - Greuter, change is not only a benefit, its an inevitable natural progression of who and what we are - and ALL that we can become.

We hope that this helps to guide you toward a new perspective of the ego. One that ultimately is more empowering and gives you the authority to guide and shape the changes throughout your life. In future posts, we will diver deeper into the factors that shape our ego, that form our ‘blocks’ or ‘filters’, and how we can better leverage these aspects for greater healthy, growth, and development. Even to the point where you will be able to step somewhat away from, or ‘transcend’ the concept of ego - and see things from ‘the other’ side.

In conclusion, these early phases of childhood and ego development begin to determine our range of available opportunity for success, or our level of conditioned limitation.Procedural and perceptual begin to interweave. And we often begin to develop the ‘blind spots’. Those things subtly just beyond our own awareness…

Here at The Light Inside, we are all about helping you ‘see’ things in a new light - allowing you to uncover the unconscious filters that color your view. Keep reaching for that higher awareness my friend! You are truly an inspiring foundation for change snd transformation.

Tune into Episode #152 entitled “The Irrefutable “Me”: A Healthy Diet of Self-Awareness Is Essential For Feeding and Nurturing The Ego” where I share quite an enlighten chat discussing our ego evolution with Performance, and Well-Being Coach, Georgina Halami.