Managing Ego

Ego puts our progress at risk. Ego demands validation. "Can't you see I'm the best." What could possibly go wrong?

Seek understanding not validation. Ryan Holiday's Ego Is the Enemy suggests ways to manage ego.

Here's an excerpt from a Paul Minors synopsis: 

ALWAYS STAY A STUDENT 

"Each of us faces a threat as we pursue our craft. Like sirens on the rocks, ego sings a soothing, validating song—which can lead to a wreck. The second we let the ego tell us we have graduated, learning grinds to a halt. That’s why Frank Shamrock said, “Always stay a student.” As in, it never ends. 

The solution is as straightforward as it is initially uncomfortable: Pick up a book on a topic you know next to nothing about. Put yourself in rooms where you’re the least knowledgeable person. That uncomfortable feeling, that defensiveness that you feel when your most deeply held assumptions are challenged—what about subjecting yourself to it deliberately? Change your mind. Change your surroundings."

If we decide we know everything, improvement ends. Openness and curiosity help us strive for more. 

Recall the fable of the tortoise and the hare. The hare has an abundance of speed and ego. The tortoise has determination and consistency, and wins the race. 

Lagniappe. Teams adjust their defense to personnel. If you have a great centerfielder, you shift corner outfielders toward the lines. If you have a great free safety in football, you might play a three-deep coverage instead of a four deep.