Words from the Master

There is another, one more play of ego which we all nurture so well – what is called social ego.

What is this social ego?

You feel that your life is highly private to yourself and that no one should be let into it.

For example, people come to me to discuss their child’s erratic ways. But they are not comfortable when there are others around. You don’t want others to know about these things because you have this built up ‘image’ in the eyes of society for yourself and your family members. If you let people in on your family matters, you feel like you are exposing your whole self to them. You are afraid that your whole image might come crashing down and there will be nothing else to prop you up in society. This is social ego.

The image that you have so painstakingly built, the image which has become the identity with which you identify yourself in society, is at stake. It is more of an identity for yourself than for others! If you can show yourself and your family just as you are, you will be more relaxed because then there will be no pressure to cover up anything.

Of course, you might say, “Swamiji, the only reason we want to keep these things a secret is, we don’t want people to start gossiping about it.” Let me tell you: No one is qualified to talk about another. If they talk, they are fools. Remember this and automatically the power you give to them and their talk will simply disappear. It is you who have given them the power to affect you, is it not? Now, that power will disappear.

Just decide and live like an open book, that’s all. By seeing your courage and body language, people will automatically understand that it is not going to help gossiping about you! I tell you: To drop your social ego and live without any privacy, is a great liberation.

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This excerpt has been taken from the book: Guaranteed Solutions.