Lately, I’ve been thinking about why the world is so dysfunctional. Two things come to mind - faulty egos, where one person feels like they have to one-up another, and second, the possibility of losing our security, financial or otherwise. Both of these are important but the first can be addressed in part, with energy healing, so I’m going to focus my attention on that one - integrating and redirecting the ego’s energy.
I'm a philosophy major, not a psychologist. So I'm thinking of the macro level, not solutions. Let’s break down my hypothesis:
- Faulty Egos & Emotional Pain, where one person has to outperform another to feel good about themselves. They might have inner child wounds that makes them feel inferior, hurt, angry or vengeful. Those core wounds lead to actions that harm others in ways that are unnecessary - whether it's a snide comment or something more direct. The faulty ego might get pleasure from feeling superior, but that satisfaction is filtered through a wound. Pain is on background refresh; any efforts to do well suffer because of it. Everyone loses. Not that we can fix others. This behavioral type is likely insecure enough to feel that they can’t win if someone else does well, or is well regarded. It's possibly a knee-jerk reaction.
- Fear of Loss / Scarcity. It's assuming that there aren't enough opportunities for everyone to win at life. This might be literal - not enough money, or psychological (not enough praise, which brings us back to the first point; a damaged ego). For example, if one restauranteur opens a sushi restaurant and gets lots of good reviews, another chef might feel like they will lose customers. To be honest, this is based on real-life economic conditions and it’s a healthy human response. Competition is normal - a necessary survival mechanism, but my intuition tells me that aggressive competition and defensiveness happen because most of us are not aligned with our uniqueness or our vision. This is what I learned in business school too - differentiate your biz, your personality and your products. We have no assurances, though, and that can be scary. From a spiritual point of view, there is a part of your soul that taps into your life purpose and what no one else can match. Let’s aim for that.
Integrating your ego might involve healing an overblown ego that pushes people away, but it could also be a dysfunctional ego that makes a person act small or insecure.
We want to assert ourselves, without going overboard and wreaking havoc on other people’s lives. That havoc can happen on small or large scales - say competition between friends (say, an unfriendly bake off). Or in more aggressive ways, that we'll see on the news. It’s not about always about money and economic survival, sometimes it’s just ego - needing to outshine or minimize the person or people next door, to feel secure. That can be just as damaging, and it feel superfluous. The outshiner doesn’t come across great anyway, which is counter-productive to their goal. I've caught myself doing this a handful of times to stand out in a crowd, rather than to outshine others, and it’s not helpful at all. It comes from moments of insecurity, and it backfires. We see that competition even when there is no financial risk associated - which makes it about standing, not actual survival. Other than in an ancient, hunter gatherer way - when being tossed from a pack was a threat to our existence. As opposed to now shining, and finding your tribe.
One of the biggest takeaways is needing to set that ethical boundary yourself; long term peace and stability is found when everyone thrives. Pluto in Libra generation here ♎️ Metaphorically, Pluto is the planet of power, and in Libra it goes out of its way to be fair. The funny thing, is that opposite signs bring out each other's strength. In the face of selfishness, Libra needs to think of themselves to bring about balance, and make that balance a priority. Be less accommodating. It's a fine line.
The Ego is not Bad
>> We all have egos, and to quote a psychologist friend, you need your ego to prop you up and give you strength. Don’t get rid of your ego, heal and integrate it.
A lot of self-healing is about developing confidence in yourself and releasing beliefs that paint you into a corner, beliefs about yourself and the world. A new perspective…
When I have done meditations to strengthen my sense of security, my intuition points me to this matrushka metaphor. Your full / higher self is a lot bigger than your ego / human self. There is a part of us that has infinite growth potential. That said, I’m a work in progress (aren’t we all), but today I asked for guidance. This is it.
Free yourself 💜💜💜💜
Reiki hugs,
Regina
>> Inspired by felt and observed social dynamics, and TV interviews with various chefs. 💛
>> Standing out in a crowd vs wanting to outshine others; I see this as an unhealthy manifestation of my south node in Aquarius (being lost in a crowd as something that now drowns me) vs. my north node in Leo (letting my light, my self and my creativity shine). We can get what we need in ways that do not negatively impact others.
Also Read >> Astrology and the Shadow
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