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The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

quietrev.com

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Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#41

Post by learning_still »

onion2k wrote: post #25
hliyan wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An 'Anti-social network', so to speak. I too, have thought of this before. The main feature, I suppose, would be that interactions revolve around smaller groups.

Introversion has nothing to do with being anti-social. An introverted person can be as sociable as an extrovert. The main difference is that the introvert doesn't get energised by being around other people; they need time alone to recharge. An extrovert is the opposite - they're tired by spending time alone but recharge in social situations. Susan Cains book "Quiet" is an exceptional exploration of the field, and wel…

Is there any hard science that supports that you can generalize the entire population into two categories: introverts and extroverts? I find this impossible to believe.

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#42

Post by carapat_virulat »

So how is a quiet ego measured? I understand those four facets in the article are supposed to correlate with the quiet ego, so it would be interesting how the loudness of your ego is measured before those 4 questions. Otherwise is seems like imposing your own bias to create a category that fits your per-conceived western Buddhism bias.

For example "Facet #1: Detached awareness", I don't really see what "detached" adds to the category of awareness if it only involves those 3 questions mentioned in the article. I can easily imagine people that also score low on those questions but who practice "involved awareness" feeling really attached to what they are doing in a very aware state of mind.

Same with the rest of facets, the idea that "Facet #3: Perspective taking" involves quieting your ego is a point of view that is not obvious and you will have to prove somehow. I think for a lot of people empathy intuitively involves feeling the pain of others as your own, which is not a detached feeling at all, and involves a strong involvement of the ego.

And I really can not see how the last point of personal growth is supposed to fit with the rest of them. It seems like the typical Western Buddhist marketing, they start speaking about how alienated we are in our consumerist way of life, some love and compassion follow, but the real selling point is that with their help and a little bit of detachment you can even be MORE successful on the consumerist game.

All in all I don't buy it unless there's more to it.

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#45

Post by auganov »

dschiptsov wrote: post #31
kfk wrote: post #27

It's funny how most of this ideas are in reality very old concepts of Greek/Roman philosophy. Seneca was a big proponent of "quite ego", for instance (his critic to a strong ego/desire: Tamquam mortales timetis, omnia tamquam immortales concupiscitis). Socrates could be too. I think the common denominator was the understanding that we have no access to the Truth and that we might as well spend the time trying to know…

It is actually Indian philosophy, based on Upanishads, much older that anything Greek/Roman. Basically, they say that it is your "ego" which prevents you, like a veil, from seeing reality as it is, because your mind is constantly busy, preoccupied with petty desires and childish concerns. Think of the ego as a virus processes with results in a high load average load average: 5.38, 5.30, 4.11 The oldest maxim says - l…

This little book describes that concisely, I believe. http://albigen.com/uarelove/most_rapid/contents.htm

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#46

Post by mjburgess »

hliyan wrote: post #14

I've come to see ego as just another evolutionary mechanism that can on occasion misfire due to the complexities of modern civilization. It's a mechanism (IMO) in gregarious species meant to maintain or enhance a member's status in the pack/tribe/group, since that status affords survival advantages. But a lot of the times when ego is triggered today have nothing to do with survival advantages or success. Identifying…

Anything can be reduced to cheap evolutionary psychology with just-so stories.

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#47

Post by onion2k »

learning_still wrote: post #41
onion2k wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Introversion has nothing to do with being anti-social. An introverted person can be as sociable as an extrovert. The main difference is that the introvert doesn't get energised by being around other people; they need time alone to recharge. An extrovert is the opposite - they're tired by spending time alone but recharge in social situations. Susan Cains book "Quiet" is an exceptional exploration of the field, and wel…

Is there any hard science that supports that you can generalize the entire population into two categories: introverts and extroverts? I find this impossible to believe.

Introvert and extrovert are the two extremes of a well-defined spectrum which everyone places on somewhere. Those in the middle are called ambiverts.

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#48

Post by icanhackit »

The gold is at the bottom: “The humble person is probably more aware and accepting of the fact that against a cosmic scale of time and space, every human being is minute.”

If there's one thing that will humble you it's trying to fathom the scale of the universe. You think a celebrity matters at these scales? But don't let it make you feel impotent - rejoice at the fact that you're alive, you exist and the world is fucking interesting. Even if you just stare out the window all day, you're a consciousness residing in a stardust body observing the thing that made you.

Re: The Benefits of a Quiet Ego

#49

Post by learning_still »

onion2k wrote: post #47
learning_still wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any hard science that supports that you can generalize the entire population into two categories: introverts and extroverts? I find this impossible to believe.

Introvert and extrovert are the two extremes of a well-defined spectrum which everyone places on somewhere . Those in the middle are called ambiverts.

Why would there even be a spectrum? Maybe a 2 dimensional spectrum. I'm sure someone can be both an extreme introvert and an extreme extrovert. Honestly, I think the idea is ludicrous. People aren't so different. But if there is hard science to back it up, I'd be willing to have my mind changed.
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