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The Ego: A Balancing Act

Today at Web Summit in Lisbon, I had the privilege of listening to Wladimir Klitschko, a former professional boxer and the brother of Kyiv’s mayor. His inspiring message resonated deeply with me, especially when he encouraged us to harness our egos as a driving force.

For years, we’ve been told that our ego is our enemy, a self-serving force that needs to be kept in check. But what if we could redirect that energy towards positive goals?

According to Sigmund Freud, the ego is a mediating force between our superego (idealistic aspirations) and the reality we face. It’s the part of our personality that helps us balance our desires with the demands of the world. In everyday usage, we can say the ego represents a sense of self-importance…

Think about how many times do we hear: “He has such a big ego!”? or “She´s egotistical.”?

However, a healthy ego is essential for a healthy sense of self.

Wladimir Klitschkorefered to this healthy ego when he spoke about harnessing our egos for good. When used in moderation, our egos can motivate us to achieve our goals, overcome obstacles, and never give up.

A balanced ego can also help us avoid failure. Our egos don’t like the feeling of failure, so they’ll push us to work harder, take risks, and push ourselves to our limits.

As the German poet Karl Friedrich Schlegel said, “Combine the extremes, and you will have the true centre.” Instead of letting our egos run wild, let’s learn to harness their power for positive purposes while remaining mindful of their potential for negative consequences.

For me, this speech was a great reflection, on how challenging is to break free from the grip of our egos. I realized how essential it is to prioritize the greater good over our own self-interest.
When we do so, we unlock our full potential and become the best versions of ourselves. 😉

GALLERY

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