Ego can be a touchstone and a prison. While finding one's center involves a certain amount of devotion to self-discovery and understanding, finding one's most peaceful and compassionate place in human society involves turning from one's own needs in favor of awareness of the needs of others. I believe the person with the most developed, secure ego is also the person whose ego is least apparent in productive social interactions.
The current bee-hive mentality which is popular in some segments of society can be a retardant to healthy ego development. Conformity and the distractions of the mass-think which develops in social media rob time away from reflection, solitude and reading those sources which would lead to self-discovery and understanding. Facebook-think is a salad of shallow observations, one-liners and thumbs-up "likes".
Distraction from suffering does not address or modify its source. It fuels denial through bolstering an attitude that everyone is the same in every way. This equivocation deepens dysfunction when it is used to seal over deep scars of developmental trauma, individual genetic problems or chronic relational problems. While the sense of belonging is soothing, it does not heal or modify individual challenges, which can worsen when ignored over time.
So, there is a great challenge in this Twitter age. While constantly being and writing about "me", man do not take the time and effort to analyze and understand the "me" being communicated to the world. What is it's purpose? Where is it channeling its energies? What is its place in society?
I see my own humanist practice as working on my self-understanding in order to better contribute to the human experience through communication and action in each moment. I seek to be a process, as opposed to a fait accompli. An important part of that process is the constant interaction and influence of others in various settings and relationships as my days progress.
