An Untamed Ego

One night I found myself in a conversation with a couple of people at a bar. We were talking about two big no-no topics: politics and religion. More to the point, we were discussing various political and well known religious leaders of the world and whether these leaders possess over inflated egos. I’m of the opinion that a good leader should have a healthy ego. I also believe that leaders with untamed or over inflated egos often possess the characteristics of a tyrant. They believe it is their way or nothing and if you choose ‘nothing’ then you pay with your life for that option (of course the idea that you have options when you have a tyrant for a leader is a misnomer in and of itself).  Of course that got me thinking about how untamed (and tamed) egos play out in real world, everyday situations with normal people. Moreover, what kind of behavior is associated with each? A quick search on healthy and unhealthy ego yielded lots of results. Here’s a quick snapshot of what I found-

Unhealthy Ego

1. people with an unhealthy ego have a grandiose sense of themselves and their abilities
2. they surround themselves with people who won’t contradict or question their perspectives or decisions
3. despite their bloated sense of who they are, surprisingly, they’re insecure
4. they have an incessant need to be right and will be dismissive of those who’s opinions run contrary to their own

Healthy Ego

1. conversely, people with healthy egos are aware of their strengths and weakness so their sense of self is balanced
2. they like people in their circle who have different, and sometimes opposing perspectives as they realize they can learn from these individuals
3. they are secure in who they are and their value
4. they can admit when they’re wrong

Kind of interesting, right? I know I’ve worked–and been in relationships–with individuals that displayed behavior associated with an unhealthy ego. Let me tell you, if you find yourself around someone like this then I’d advise you to run fast and run far my friends!

Confidence says I’m valuable while ego says I’m invaluable.

During my research I also came across this video which I believe beautifully sums up the benefits of having a healthy ego. Check it out you guys.

If you realize that some of your actions, dear reader, seem to fall more on the ‘untamed’ ego side of things, never fear. Here are some tips on how to get your ego under control.

Leave a comment and let us know how you’ve dealt with people who have huge egos! I’m sure there’s something we can learn from your story.

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