The Vedic Conversation - Series 2 Episode 1: Putting Ego in its Place
The Vedic Conversation Series 2 Episode 1: Putting Ego in its Place
Welcome back to season 2 of The Vedic Conversation, hosted by Vedic Meditation teachers Rory Kinsella, Derrick Yanford and Anthony Thompson.
In this episode we talk about Ego and it has both its positive and negative sides. Stick around to the end for the takeaway, practical advice you can integrate into your life.
Here’s my story about ego
For many years I worked in the art market as an auctioneer and then as an art consultant coming across a wide variety of collectors - and I noticed they fell into two broad categories.
The first group actively revels in the drama of the process, looking forward to the moment when they can declare their wealth and status.
The second group is more discreet, not wanting anyone to know what they are up to and what they're spending.
Both groups are motivated by the hunt - what they're really interested in is tracking down the object of their desire - and then taking it home.
Fine art auctions are a very public showcase of determination, wealth and status... and ego at play.
The part ego play’s in the thrill of the chase
I've seen people pay many times more than they originally intended because they get caught up in the action, determined not to let the person over there, or on the telephone, or bidding on the Internet out do them. Whatever happens they are going to be the winner.
If someone is buying something for a notable, or world record price, they can be sure that when it's back home it will act as an endorsement of all they stand for. They've used all available means to satisfy their ego, - often for an eye watering cost.
I'm reminded of when I was on safari in Kenya - I visited a well-known white hunter who had the stuffed heads of all the significant animals he had killed placed around his house.
This trophy hunter was no different to the people I was working with. Crudely speaking they were saying to themselves and they world:
"You haven't got it - I have".
Ego and status
In the mid-90s many ultra high net worth individuals from overseas came to live in London. Often these people, who were highly influential and important back home, had little or no status in the city.
But they found an interesting way to remedy this.
There were numerous art consultancies at the time, many set up by people who had worked for an auction house for a while. When working there the employees would meet these wealthy collectors and form a professional relationship - which occasionally went on to be a lifestyle arrangement.
The collector could make a name for themselves and gain status, by appointing an art consultant who would advise them on making a purchase for a world record price. This didn't necessarily mean spending tens of millions of pounds – it could be just several millions of pounds.
As a notable buyer they would be invited to gallery openings, museum private views, special events and dinner parties where they would meet people who would pay them the attention they were used to.
The investment worked on several levels.
Firstly they could get their name out there much quicker than if they had used a PR firm and secondly they could maintain the momentum, and their visibility, by selling the original purchase, possibly for a profit, and then making another which would put their name back in the headlines again.
The collector got advice about forming a notable and valuable collection, and the consultant would get to spend the collector's money, travel the world and bask in the associated glory of purchasing important pieces.
Every day you can observe people confusing happiness with status because they're running their lives in the belief that they can control the outcome.
When they're challenged by difficult people, situations or loss there's an attitude of resentment – it's always the other person or situation that's at fault and has caused the misery.
We all have this innate understanding that life will unfold in a straightforward manner and when it doesn't we don't like it.
When we change the narrative of ourselves our suffering stops.
We acknowledge there will always be challenges and obstacles, things going wrong, difficult people - but it's not us who are making the mess, and we can learn something every time it happens.
As we become more conscious difficulties and challenges no longer contribute to our unhappiness. Now this may be alarming for some people because that's how they define themselves.
As someone once said those people 'become a grievance looking for a cause!'.
Our personality, or ego, is a concept, a conceit, an act which we spend huge amounts of time, money and effort curating.
Ego is our image of ourselves - how we think of ourselves.
What I understand of myself is all an act - it's not really me.
My conception of myself has no connection with the universe - but once we understand that we are not a separate personality but an organism which functions with the environment, with nature, we'll end our unhappiness.
And when we stop and realise that the world is functioning despite our vain glorious efforts, we can relax and lose that sense of self importance.
Remember - 'today a rooster - tomorrow a feather duster!'
If you’re happy to share your stories, we’d love to have you join the conversation. Please send them through to us at stories@thevedicconversation.com or post them on social media using the hashtag #thevedicconversation and we’ll share some in future episodes.
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