{"id":4518,"date":"2023-10-12T17:55:36","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T21:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/spiritual-ego-what-is-it-how-you-can-keep-it-in-check\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T17:55:36","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T21:55:36","slug":"spiritual-ego-what-is-it-how-you-can-keep-it-in-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/spiritual-ego-what-is-it-how-you-can-keep-it-in-check\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Ego\u2014What Is It & How You Can Keep It In Check"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Spirituality typically conjures images of calmness, emotional adeptness, and Zen-like tranquility. What it does not <\/em>often evoke is the association with ego.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, though, it can happen\u2014spiritual ego is a thing. And what\u2019s meant to foster awareness and enlightenment suddenly becomes clouded with comparison and self-enhancement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHumans we are<\/em>,\u201d says Mahatria Ra<\/strong>, a well-known spiritual leader and trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s A Journey to Infinitheism<\/em> Quest. \u201cWe have a fragile ego<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a sort of paradox where our journey, meant to be about humility and connection, subtly becomes about asserting our spiritual superiority or specialness. And it\u2019s only until we learn to transcend the ego can true growth occur.<\/p>\n

What Is Spiritual Ego?<\/h2>\n

Ego<\/a>, the spiritual definition of it, is when our journey to become better accidentally makes us feel superior to others. It twists our spiritual practices into a source of pride and separates us, rather than uniting us, with others on a similar path.<\/p>\n

Egos is a perpetual beggar. It\u2019s all the time forcing you to prove something to the world. \u2014 @mahatria<\/p>\n

With only 33% of Americans<\/a> describing themselves as spiritual, there\u2019s a clear divide. This gap can accidentally create a place where the spiritual ego grows. And in this space, the path to enlightenment can sometimes turn into a platform to quietly judge others instead of being a way to truly connect and grow spiritually with them.<\/p>\n

Spiritual ego vs. ego<\/h3>\n

Ego, regardless of its guise or intention, is still ego. However, while the typical ego might boast about material possessions, good looks, or a high social standing, its spiritual counterpart masks itself under an aura of divine wisdom and higher understanding.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a side-by-side comparison of the two:<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pseudo-compassion, disguised judgment<\/td>\nSpiritual Ego<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expression<\/td>\nBoasting, seeking attention<\/td>\nSubtle superiority, feigning humility<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Validation<\/td>\nExternal validation from others<\/td>\nInner validation, often masked as \u201cenlightenment\u201d<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Common Feelings<\/td>\nJealousy, competitiveness<\/td>\nPseudo-compassion, disguised judgement<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reaction to Criticism<\/td>\nDefensive, angry<\/td>\nDismissive, considering oneself as misunderstood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Relationships<\/td>\nOften superficial, self-serving<\/td>\nMay appear deep but is conditional upon spiritual alignment<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

It\u2019s a bit like when you learn something new and suddenly see mistakes in what everyone else is doing. You might feel like telling them the \u201cright\u201d way to do things because you now \u201cknow better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The same thing can happen on our spiritual path. We learn new things and feel enlightened, bolstering our spiritual intelligence<\/a>. But there can be times when, without realizing it, we start believing we are somehow better than others who don\u2019t know what we now know.<\/p>\n

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Examples of Spiritual Ego<\/h2>\n

Spirituality is the path to connecting with one\u2019s higher self<\/a>. However, ego can get in the way. Here\u2019s what it can look like:<\/p>\n