I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Sensitiveness is closely allied to egotism. Indeed, excessive sensitiveness is only another name for morbid self-consciousness. The cure for it is to make more of our objects, and less of ourselves.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
The sickness of my ego has been dispelled, and my pain is over and done.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
Don’t talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
The hallucination of being a separate ego will not stand up to biological tests.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British-American Philosopher, Author
The pest of society are the egotist, they are dull and bright, sacred and profane, course and fine. It is a disease that like the flu falls on all constitutions.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation.
—Eckhart Tolle (b.1948) German Spiritual Writer, Public Speaker, Spiritual Teacher
The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, person and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you.
—Eckhart Tolle (b.1948) German Spiritual Writer, Public Speaker, Spiritual Teacher
Through loving devotion, their ego evaporates.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
The egoism which enters into our theories does not affect their sincerity; rather, the more our egoism is satisfied, the more robust is our belief.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
About the Ego. There are two fields in which it operates and so, it has two meanings: (1) Self-love, Ahamkara, the ‘Dehatma’, Body-consciousness, the Exterior I, and (2) the Inner ‘I’, the Pratyag-Atma.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
The Universe knows what it’s doing. So don’t develop a big ego, and don’t be afraid.
—Benjamin Hoff American Taoist Writer
Egotism, n: Doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a pen.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Egotism is the source and summary of all faults and miseries.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
He who does not think much of himself is much more esteemed than he imagines.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Campaign against the temptations of the senses; Conquer inner foes; Triumph over your ego.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
Modern man believes he is fruitful and productive when his ego is aggressively affirmed, when he is visibly active, and when his action produces obvious results.
—Thomas Merton (1915–68) American Trappist Monk
Look for intelligence and judgment and, most critically, a capacity to anticipate, to see around corners. Also look for loyalty, integrity, a high energy drive, a balanced ego and the drive to get things done.
—Colin Powell (1937–2021) American Military Leader
Intolerance itself is a form of egoism, and to condemn egoism intolerantly is to share it.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
Mastery passes often for egotism.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The nice thing about egotists is that they don’t talk about other people.
—Lucille S. Harper American Freelance Writer
The egoist does not tolerate egoism.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
The ego is not master in its own house.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Your life is not just about you. It’s also about contributing to others. It’s about living true to your mission and reason for being here on this earth at this time. It’s about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. Most people are so stuck in their egos that everything revolves around me, me, and more me. But if you want to be rich in the truest sense of the word, it can’t only be about you. It has to include adding value to other people’s lives.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
The ego is willing but the machine cannot go on. It’s the last thing a man will admit, that his mind ages.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
About eighty to ninety per cent of the population must be rated about as high in ego-security as the most secure individuals in our society, who comprise perhaps five or ten per cent at most.
—Abraham Maslow (1908–70) American Psychologist, Academic, Humanist
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
—Colin Powell (1937–2021) American Military Leader
One must learn to love oneself with a wholesome and healthy love, so that one can bear to be with oneself and need not roam.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
As William Penn put it: “Those people who are not governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” Remember… that those tyrants are often self-imposed roadblocks of your lower self at work.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
What will the world be quite overturned when you die?
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher