It seems we’ve all been taught that having an ego is a bad thing. I have to disagree with this. Having a healthy ego is a great thing. It’s when you let your ego get out of hand that you start running into problems.
We all know examples of egos getting out of hand: Lil Wayne saying he’s the best rapper alive, Terrell Owens thinking his teammates aren’t worth of playing with him, Paris Hilton thinking she’s somehow relevant. And then there’s my favorite egomaniac, Black Francis. (But in all fairness, Frank is a rock ‘n’ roll god. So he has something to have a bit of an ego about.)
These egos are cute for a while. At first you think, These people can’t possibly take themselves seriously, can they? But then time goes on and you realize it’s no act. These guys are serious. And then it all gets old.
Having an inflated ego benefits no one. When you think you’re above everyone else or that you’re always right, people will eventually lose all desire to collaborate with you. No one will offer any advice or opinion because you’re not listening anyway. And there’s a good chance that someday they’ll let you fall on your face. And then your poor little ego will be reduced to the size of a grain of sand.
Which brings me to my next point…
Don’t let your ego get too small. Don’t always hold your ego back. Humility is a great thing. But sometimes you have to know when to let your ego loose. You have to know when you’re right — when you’ve got a great idea and everyone needs to know about it. Only you can figure out when the timing is right, and it might take a little trial and error before you get it right.
All things in moderation
As with many things in life, the most important thing to remember in regard to ego is that it must be balanced. Humility without assertion may be interpreted as meekness. But letting your pride run wide-open may be interpreted as arrogance. A healthy ego will make you confident to make important decisions and lead others to do the right thing but will also give you the sense to listen to others and consider a bit of criticism from time to time.
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