Differences between ego and pride – Online Psychologists

At some point in our lives, most of us uswe have experienced this kind of qualitiesno matter how hard it is for us to admit it.

On the one hand, I speak of the egothat reprobate feeling that makes us become IMBECILES, thus, with all the letters and in capital letters, since we sets boundaries when exchanging ideasopinions and thoughts with the people around us. And on the other hand, there is his virtuous friend, the pride.

Believe it or not, for us it is unfortunate, since creates obstacles in our being And, if that were not enough, it feeds the ego even more. This happens because a feeling of fear is generated when accepting mistakes and defeats, that is, they are considered a setback for pride. Likewise, the ego also feeds pride, since when one believes oneself superior to the rest and “You can prove it””, pride is comfortable with itself and this gives rise to that strange and beautiful perception in which one feels fulfilled with oneself.

In this context, there is a great difference between both conceptsalthough people often use them interchangeably. The main difference is that, on the one hand, the ego refers to the way in which an individual perceives himself/herselfthat is, how he thinks, feels or differs from the rest.

And on the other hand, the pride refers to the feeling a person experiences after achieving success of oneself or someone else. However, these two terms are interconnectedsince they refer to the mental state of the human being.

From Psychia We propose you the keys to knowing how to differentiate ego from pride.

The ego is a quality that lives within all of us and in our subconscious. It refers to the way a person thinks or feels about himself or herselfin addition to the consciousness that one has. Therefore, the ego is a self-protective impulse or forcealthough, sometimes, exceeds some limitswhich generates anti-genderism, arrogance or greed.

Sometimes, it is referred to as self-esteem. However, the ego is responsible for showing your personal identity. That is, it is all about me, myself and myself. Negative aspects such as excessive pride, vanity, self-importance are also associated with ego, as when one thinks too much about oneself, it can be said that one has a higher ego than a person who also thinks about others. Possessing such a strong ego can cause deterioration of personal relationshipssince people who suffer from it They are not able to ask for forgiveness When someone is hurt only so as not to hurt his egoIn this context, it can be said that ego has a negative effect on people. However, it can be considered positive if the person who suffers from it does not allow it to control his or her life.

As you can see, trying to explain what the ego is is a rather complex subject. Even so, among all the definitions that can be found, the one by the intellectual Freud stands out:

“Psychic instance that recognizes itself as an ego, partially conscious, that controls motility and mediates between the instincts of the id, the ideals of the superego and the reality of the outside world”

Throughout the day, we often hear people say, “So-and-so is so proud” or “I am so proud,” among others. On the other hand, it is often said that we should swallow our pride at certain times. But… have you ever been explicitly told what pride is?

Pride is a quality that needs to be built on a daily basis. It is related to attributing your own merits, capabilities and achievements based on what you consider to be good human conditions. It refers to the way in which a person feels satisfied. for having achieved the goal set. It will be more forged the more you advance towards the destination you want.

In this sense, it has to do with how we take care of ourselves, with satisfaction, pleasure and personal love. In short, pride is a feeling that can be seen in a positive or negative way. If it is taken as a positive trait, motivation, self-confidence and success are assured. On the contrary, if it is taken as a negative aspect, can trivialize or separate peoplesince those who suffer from them are people who tend to want to be alone.

As you can see, explaining what pride is is not an easy subject either. Even so, among all the possible definitions that we can find, we find the first two that the RAE offers us:

1. “Feeling of satisfaction for one's own achievements, abilities or merits or for something in which a person feels concerned»

2. “Arrogance, vanity, excessive self-esteem, which often leads to feelings of superiority”

Ultimately, pride provides long-term stability, as it is an investment in oneself. For this reason, you should always invest in it, but always within certain limits.

It is essential that you feel proud of your achievements, but it is also essential that you know how to ask for forgiveness when you do things wrong, that is, to know how to recognize your mistakes. If you take these aspects into account, your personal growth will increase.

The main difference between these two terms is that ego is a feeling of personal importance, which sometimes leads to arrogance, while pride is the feeling of satisfaction. As previously noted, these are concepts that are interconnected and differentiating them is quite complex.

Although some people associate ego with self-esteem, the truth is that it refers to a feeling of superiority towards others. In this sense, even if it is not conscious, it leads to arrogance. A person who only thinks about himself and never about others has an inflated ego and the only thing he generates is a negative relationship with other people.

However, pride is related to the satisfaction experienced when a person has achieved some goal, also when someone in your environment has achieved it. In this case, the relationship that is generated is positive and healthy, since people are happy for their own good, but also for the good of others.

Ultimately, pride, compared to ego, generates joy, pleasure and positivity.

Ego: It originates solely from oneself.

Pride: It can arise from oneself or someone else.

Ego: feeling about oneself (me, me, me, only me, and always me).

Pride: satisfying feeling after achieving an accomplishment or success.

Ego: based on false ideas and thoughts.

Pride: based on achievement or success.

Ego: arrogance most of the time.

Pride: self-satisfaction and motivation.

Ego: It generally prohibits people from apologizing, appreciating others, and maintaining new social relationships.

Pride: involves getting other people motivated by something.

Ego: An inflated ego could easily be damaged.

Pride: sometimes ends in disappointment.

And you, what do you think about this? What do you think is worse: ego or pride? Let us know in the comments!

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