Many things can ruin a relationship. The ego is one of the vital factors. Even our superheroes often suffer from it. Even in Spiderman 3 (2007), we saw how our cute, down-to-earth Tobey Maguire, Peter Parker, became ‘Bully Maguire’. However, it happened because he came in touch with a strange alien substance (later known as Venom). Though Peter’s professor said, it brings out the negative qualities of its host. Though Peter wished later, he could find some Ways to Let Go of Your Ego & save his relationship with Mary Jane.
Ways to Let Go of Your Ego
1. Hang On To The Feeling
Often a person will stay in a bad relationship because their ego won’t allow them to accept that the judgment of their partner’s character was wrong. This is a common thing when a person is being cheated on. The ego is damaged & we can’t simply accept that we are less attractive or sought-after than our partner’s new interest.
We reject to see that our investment of years into a relationship isn’t working out. Our ego won’t allow us to see & accept it. So, instead of hanging on to the true feeling, we hang on to the relationship to demonstrate that we are still worthy of being in it. To move on, we must let go of our ego & free ourselves from a bad relationship.
2. Try To Be Humble
We often are proud of our capabilities, skills, and possessions. That often feeds our ego & we become egoistic, proud, and arrogant. As we know, such people are seen in a negative light. That’s why one of the Ways to Let Go of Your Ego is trying to remain humble. Always try to keep your feet on the ground.
You may be proud of your earthly possessions, but there is a slim chance that you will be as rich as Bill Gates, who is not ashamed to wait patiently in line at a fast-food joint. You can be talented & popular in your circle. But you must admit that David Beckham is much more talented & popular than you. Yet it didn’t stop him from bringing a cup of coffee to a young paramedic treating an elderly person in London.
There are many such examples of rich & famous people practicing humility. Try to walk in their path whenever you feel the ego engulfing you.
3. Practice Clemency & Letting Go
If you are still wondering How to Let Go of Your Ego, one of the most effective ways is learning how to forgive others & yourself. Your current relationship may cause numerous not-so-good situations & you may be left unattended, neglected & hurt. Don’t take it in your heart; wake up from the doomed phase, admit it, let go & go forward.
If you decide to cling to negative feelings like anger, being vengeful or despair, you will only make yourself mentally & physically unstable. These negative emotions are like the poison you take & expecting others to die. Those are doing no good. While forgiving yourself & others can bring peace to your mind.
4. Try To Be Honest & Open
To get rid of your ego, it is vital to be honest, seek the truth & open to accepting it. This is as the truth always makes you free & repressing your emotions can cause depression & anxiety. Also, you must know to reject things that do not add value to your life & welcome things that add value to your life.
Also, be honest about your feelings, emotions & your qualities. Be it good or bad, you must be honest about them & accept them. If you can’t accept your bad qualities, you are rejecting to discover yourself & accept the truth fully. Half-truth is more dangerous than lies.
5. Don’t Try To Control Everything
There are certain aspects of life you can control. Then there are many things which you can’t control. Trying to control things which are beyond your power is not a wise thing to do. It will only produce anger, frustration & despair. For example, you can control your response or reaction in a particular circumstance, but you can’t control your partner’s reaction in the same situation.
You can’t control a person or events caused by them. Often it may happen that a person is working as requested or directed because they chose to do so. If your subordinate refuses to obey you, you can warn or terminate them. If your kid is not obeying you, the best you can do is to be patient with them & reason with them.
Whatever the situation may be, remember you can’t control everything, as we have learnt from the unforeseeable recent Pandemic, which took a huge toll on the world.
6. Don’t Allow Ego Control Your Life Or Relationship
That’s the last thing you want to do. Letting your ego be in the driver’s seat can spoil your life & relationship.
You must remember that neither your ego, jobs, earthly possessions, or achievements describe you. The moment you allow ego to start controlling your life, you can never be happy or relaxed & will gradually start losing the peace of your mind, with losing the peace feature in your relationship.
7. Practice Gratitude
Being grateful is one of the most efficient ways to eliminate your ego. Thank people who help you or have helped you in some way or the other. Appreciate others for whatever little contribution they have in your life. Be grateful for whatever you have, no matter how little.
Consider that you are luckier to have a family than the little girl who lost her parents in an accident. Consider yourself lucky to have some clothes to wear to the office or party than the man who lost everything in the fire. Whatever you have, they may not be enough, or you desire more, but many people don’t even have them. Things you consider necessities are luxuries to them.
8. Cultivate Others
Try to cultivate people more & try to find the things that make them unique. They must have some qualities & skills you admire & try to adapt. That will remind you there’s no need to feel proud of your education, knowledge or skills. Everyone got their fair share of those things.
The more you know & discover the uniqueness of people, the more you feel humble. That will help you to remove ego from your mind.
Difference Between Ego & Self-Esteem
Being egotistical is usually considered negative, but having high self-esteem is a positive thing. People often need clarification. An egotistical person’s self-worth is determined by some external factors — primarily the approval of others. Internal factors like passion, principles or perspectives determine someone with high self-esteem’s sense of self-worth.
People with large egos are often unconfident & try to cover up their insecurities by pretending to be vital or better than others. People with large egos often lack confidence & self-knowledge. On the other hand, people with high self-esteem have confidence in their capabilities, know their inadequacies & love themselves.
We all have an ego. However, we must learn Ways to Let Go of Your Ego. If you let your ego run uncontrolled, it can lead to extreme turmoil in your life — chiefly with your partner or spouse.
FAQs
Q: Can ego cause arrogance?
A: Many factors can cause arrogance, and ego is one of them.
Q: Being successful people, are all celebrities egoistic?
A: Some celebrities can behave & act that way. On the other hand, celebrities like Robert Pattinson, Vin Diesel, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves & Johnny Depp are known to be the most humble celebrities.
Q: Apart from the ways mentioned in the article, are there other Ways to Let Go of Your Ego?
A: Many books, articles & podcasts can be found online to get rid of your ego & be humble. Use them.
