Nothing of what has been written above should be taken to mean that it is a bad thing to
have an Ego; it seems to be an inevitable consequence of having a reflecting consciousness. One could even go so far as to surmise that in a world where love predominated -- where there was no sin -- Ego would still develop and would undergo some kind of developmental process. Just as we grow in our understanding of the world around us, so, too, are we bound to grow in our understanding of ourselves through our interactions with the world. Furthermore, as one’s human growth unfolds and new
powers and aptitudes emerge, the idea one has of oneself is bound to expand as well.
There are numerous tensions that Ego is constantly monitoring, but it is especially attuned to two:
a.) the demands of the outer world versus the resources of the inner life (energy, desires, emotions, etc.);
b.) the influences of the outer world in relation to the idea one has of oneself.
These two tensions often overlap, and they suffice to keep one’s reflective consciousness of most people active and engaged through the course of each day.
