Ego trip: a journey to nowhere.
—Robert Half
Ego is simply an idea of who you are that you carry around with you.
—Wayne Dyer (1940–2015) American Self-Help Author
He who does not think much of himself is much more esteemed than he imagines.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
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
The hallucination of being a separate ego will not stand up to biological tests.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British-American Philosopher, Author
Left-wingers are incapable of conspiring because they’re all egomaniacs.
—Norman Mailer (1923–2007) American Novelist Essayist
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
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
Don’t talk about yourself; it will be done when you leave.
—Wilson Mizner (1876–1933) American Playwright, Entrepreneur
The minimum qualifications for Grace are surrender of ego.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk about ourselves at all.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
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
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
Confronted by outstanding merit, there is no way of saving one’s ego except by love
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The ego is not master in its own house.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Thinking is often regarded as an extension of the ego. Clever children in school base their egos on being clever and on being right all the time. They dislike group work because they cannot then show the rest of the class where the good idea originated. When the ego and thinking are treated as the same thing there is a reluctance to be wrong and a need to defend a point of view rather than to explore the situation. A person should be able to treat his thinking much as a tennis player treats his strokes: he should be able to walk off the court complaining that his backhand was not working very well on that occasion or that it required more practice.
This new meta-system is very much in favour of the self, but a self that is based on a proper sense of dignity, not on an inflated ego. A person who dare not admit he is wrong inflates his ego but weakens his self.
—Edward de Bono (1933–2021) Maltese-British Psychologist, Writer
Egotism is the source and summary of all faults and miseries.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
If someone is blessed as I am is not willing to clean out the barn, who will?
—Ross Perot (1930–2019) American Businessman
All works are being done by the energy and power of nature, but due to delusion of ego people assume themselves to be the doer.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Through loving devotion, their ego evaporates.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
In any influence, will, a self, the ego, the I AM is the greater force to be dealt with, but as numbers do influence, a knowledge of same certainly gives an individual a foresight into relationships.
—Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) American Faith Healer
The world is burning in the fire of desire, in greed, arrogance and excessive ego.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
Intolerance itself is a form of egoism, and to condemn egoism intolerantly is to share it.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
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 foundation of the Buddha’s teachings lies in compassion, and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of ego, the number-one enemy of compassion.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
When the body is filled with ego and selfishness, the cycle of birth and death does not end.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
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
The sickness of my ego has been dispelled, and my pain is over and done.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
The egoist does not tolerate egoism.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
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
If due to ego you think: I shall not fight; this resolve of yours is vain. Your own nature will compel you.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Egotism is usually subversive of sagacity.
—Marianne Moore (1887–1972) American Poet
In their dreams at night, people wander around as long as they sleep; just so, they are under the power of the snake Maya, as long as their hearts are filled with ego and duality.
—The Guru Granth Sahib Sacred Text of Sikhism
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, lessens the friction of social contacts. It is only in lies, wholeheartedly and bravely told, that human nature attains through words and speech the forbearance, the nobility, the romance, the idealism, that—being what it is—it falls so short of in fact and in deed.
—Clare Boothe Luce (1903–87) American Playwright, Diplomat, Journalist, Diplomat, Elected Rep
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
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
It is the nature of the ego to take, and the nature of the spirit to share.
—Common Proverb
Well, one of the problems about being psychoanalyzed is, as Nietzsche said, “Be careful lest in casting out your devils that you cast out the best thing that’s in you.” So many people who are really in deep analysis look as though and act as though they have been filleted. There’s no bone there, there’s no stuff! How to get rid of ego as dictator and turn it into messenger and servant and scout, to be in your service, is the trick.
—Joseph Campbell (1904–87) American Mythologist, Writer, Lecturer
Our own self-love draws a thick veil between us and our faults.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
The nice thing about egotists is that they don’t talk about other people.
—Lucille S. Harper American Freelance Writer
Analysis does not set out to make pathological reactions impossible, but to give the patient’s ego freedom to decide one way or another.
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic
Let’s face it; God has a big ego problem. Why do we always have to worship him?
—Bill Maher (b.1956) American Comedian, TV Personality, Social Critic, Author, Actor
When your mind becomes fixed on Me, you shall overcome all difficulties by My grace. But, if you do not listen to Me due to ego, you shall perish.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
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
We reproach people for talking about themselves, but it is the subject they treat best.
—Anatole France (1844–1924) French Novelist
Egotism, n: Doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a pen.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
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
Campaign against the temptations of the senses; Conquer inner foes; Triumph over your ego.
—Sathya Sai Baba (1926–2011) Indian Hindu Religious Leader
Our ego is our silent partner-too often with a controlling interest.
—Cullen Hightower (b.1923) American Humorist
If egotism means a terrific interest in one’s self, egotism is absolutely essential to efficient living.
—Arnold Bennett (1867–1931) British Novelist, Playwright, Critic