Again, at Ego Rehab we’re using Eckhart Tolle’s definition of ego. So anytime you’re in any of these states, you’re in your ego:

  • You’re defensive
  • You’re trying to prove your “self”
  • You’re operating from guilt – shoulds and shouldn’ts 
  • You think you’re more special than and/or superior to others
  • You think you’re less special than and/or inferior to others
  • You’re offended/upset easily
  • You feel sorry for your self in any way 
  • You’re feeling anger or resentment or other negative emotions and can’t separate your self from them
  • You’re blaming others for your problems and/or your pain
  • you’re seeking attention and/or approval
  • You’re comparing your self to others
  • You’re fearful 
  • You’re ego intoxicated – on a high because you got something you wanted or feel superior to others in some way
  • You’re obsessing about something/someone
  • You think you need to get/keep something/someone in order to be happy
  • You find your self online shopping at 1:15am
  • You’re feeling proud about something
  • You’re stuck in past
  • You’re stuck in future
  • You’re criticizing, judging, or attacking others, even just in your mind
  • You are attached to the outcome in any situation
  • You’re identified with anything
  • You’re attached to anything
  • You feel separate from Life/disconnected
  • You’re worried about your reputation/self image
  • You’re worried about what other people think of you
  • Your thoughts, emotions, conditioned patterns, self image, and/or will are running your life
  • Your personality is running your life
  • You’re reactive
  • You’re fighting with others or your self on some level—any level
  • You feel you need to defend your beliefs (you’re identified with a mental position)
  • You are deceiving your self or others
  • You believe that the world is against you
  • You believe that the world is a dark place

…or if you’re operating from any of the ego disguises in this post, you’re in your ego! I forgot to mention there that positive qualities can also be ego disguises, like “love” and “charm” if they’re overexpressed or used to control or manipulate others.