Self-Esteem vs. Ego

Is ego necessarily bad? Is self-esteem necessarily good?

According to Webster the ego is:

n. 1: the self as distinguished from others 2: one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that serves as organized conscious mediator between the person and reality.

Well that all makes sense, doesn't it?

Of course, in contemporary culture we usually reference ego as an exaggerated sense of self. The egomaniac is anyone who regards himself too highly, usually at the expense of others. When we reference ego we usually mean someone who esteems himself too much.

Most of us realize that in order to be successful and happy, we've got to have a healthy or well-developed sense of self-esteem. The absence of self-esteem is associated with weakness, scarcity and sometimes even depression or mental illness.

Look at that secondary definition of ego. Could we say that a healthy person is able to make the distinction between his own needs and ambitions, and the way those needs and ambitions affect and impact the lives of others? You can be the most important person in your own mind at any given time, but generally you're still going to have to interact with others in order to live a productive and satisfying life. Your ability to balance your needs with those around you reflects directly on how you will perceive yourself, and how others will perceive you when it comes to ego.

I believe that the most selfless thing you can do for others is to constantly improve yourself. Just be careful; there is a line between focused self-improvement and self-indulgence. A well developed healthy sense of self-esteem reflects the positive side of ego; that side of you who can face challenges and overcome adversity knowing that your personal development will serve yourself and others. Cross the line and you become obsessive. Then your actions serve only you and may even be harmful to others and eventually to yourself as well.

On the other hand, unless you develop a healthy sense of the value of personal development in your life and in the lives of those around you, you're likely to avoid challenges and adversities that may threaten your fragile sense of self-esteem or ego.

It's not selfish to perfect yourself. The key is to choose your path to self-perfection based on concrete values to serve your vision of success. Values are the road signs that keep you on the path to developing a healthy sense of self-esteem which will serve you and those around you.

Base your self-perfection on the value you bring to others. Your ego will be intact, your self-esteem will grow and you can live confidently in the knowledge that your personal vision of success will benefit you and the lives of others.