Ego

Epictetus Handbook 6-10



6. Be not elated at any excellence not your own. If a horse should be elated, and say, “I am handsome,” it might be endurable. But when you are elated, and say, “I have a handsome horse,” know that you are elated only on the merit of the horse. What then is your own? The use of phenomena of existence. So that when you are in harmony with nature in this respect, you will be elated with some reason; for you will be elated at some good of your own.

This passage reminds me of a book I read once called A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle. The book talks about ego and how, by detaching yourself from it, can reach happiness.

According to Tolle, People are constantly looking for approval to satisfy the ego. That is the reason why some people tend to brag about their possessions, or simply, constantly want more.

In this case, you don't really need a "handsome horse". You just need a horse that does the job but to feel better, you look for a horse that is better than any other horse.

Tolle would agree on the fact that you shouldn't feel happy if something that weren't you, was elated but I think that he would disagree in looking for compliments for your merits.

Either way, I agree with this passage of the Epictetus, one shouldn't feel proud for an accomplishment that doesn't depend on you...

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When you want to satisfy your ego, you are becoming selfish. I can relate this to my personal life because I play on a soccer team. I know that you don't feel as good if your team wins and you didn't play. You want to be part of the accomplishment because I believe that in the end, you don't feel happy for any accomplishment that doesn't depend on you. Yet, it feels better to take credit for your team's victory (even if you didnt even play,) than to loose, and miss the opportunity to take any credit and that is why we as a part of human nature, feel proud when something that is ours, or relates to us, receives compliments.