The core of ego in A new earth

¶ … New Earth, Chapter 3: The Core of Ego

In Chapter 3 of A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle examines the role that the ego plays in human thought. He describes individuals as being possessed by the ego, in that there is a constant sense of self in every thought. When most individuals think of themselves, they are actually thinking of their egos. Moreover, though egos differ on the surface, underneath the surface there are consistent similarities in egos. Egos live on identification and separation (Tolle, p.59). Moreover, egos attempt to enlarge themselves, oftentimes at the expense of others. This behavior can be seen in individual relationships, where one person may criticize another in order to make themselves seem or feel better. It can also be seen in larger relationships and helps explain away some of the uglier aspects of the human condition, like war and racism.

One of the things that Tolle discusses is the fact that the ego makes it virtually impossible for people to be objective. Egos confuse facts with opinions or viewpoints. Moreover, egos may confuse an event that occurred with their perception of an event that occurred. This leads him to an investigation of truth and whether truth is relative or absolute. Ego drives people to think of themselves as right, and this can lead to the development of moral codes that oftentimes accompany religions. In fact, Tolle turns a lens on the history of Christianity to demonstrate how the belief that one is in possession of the truth can lead to insane behaviors and beliefs. In addition to the horrors of the Inquisition and heresy, Tolle points out Pol Pot's massacres as a way of demonstrating how the idea that there is a single truth can result in some very dangerous behaviors. This leads Tolle to the conclusion that religions are true if used in service of the Truth, but false if used in service of the Ego.

Tolle associations so many negatives with ego, but it is really important not to confuse some of the ego's deficiencies with legitimate complaints. One of the things that he discusses is that a person can have legitimate complaints and grievances, and that there is nothing wrong with airing those, but the manner in which one does so makes a huge difference. Furthermore, that voice in the back of one's head is the true self, and it is critical for each individual to understand that voice and listen to that voice.

So much of chapter three focuses on the negative impact of the ego on humanity that it can be very difficult to focus on any of the positive aspects of the human condition. However, Tolle eventually stresses the importance of moving beyond ego. He describes ego as being very limiting, so that, with the ego one is reduced to less than the total of a person. The "I," rather than being a descriptor of a whole human being, allows someone to reduce their identification to a set of statuses: gender, possessions, jobs, social roles, and other similar statuses that needlessly limit a person. He considers this type of ego-linked focus as way of preventing people from being able to accept the full abundance of their daily lives.