11/23/2018 (3) Brian Baulsom's answer to Is Ego inborn or a culturally taught emotion?

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Is Ego inborn or a culturally taught emotion?

Brian Baulsom, 40 years research. 2 Books. www.cycleofgrowth.com
Updated Oct 16

The "seed" of Ego is inborn, but it develops as we go through life.

JUNGIAN DEFINITION.

Let's first define what we mean by Ego. This is one by C.G.Jung, the psychologist.

"The ego, the subject of consciousness, comes into existence as a complex quantity which
is constituted partly by the inherited disposition (character constituents) and partly by
unconsciously acquired impressions and their attendant phenomena." [“Analytical
Psychology and Education,” CW 17, par. 169.]

So the Ego is "the centre of Consciousness". It is partially inherited (Nature) and

partly changed bu life experience (Nurture). It is the Ego that says "I AM".

* I have a body, but I can control my body.

* I have a mind, but I can control my mind.

* I have emotions, but I can control my emotions.

So who am I really ?

What this means is that when we are born we do not have an Ego. Have a look at a new
born baby to see that this is true. It is uncoordinated, and unaware of its
surroundings. The next stage of its development requires getting control of a physical
body to control bladder and bowels, and learn to walk. The next stage is development
of mind, to be able to communicate.

We also see that Jung stated that the ego develops as a result of inherited human
traits and external experience (Nature and Nurture). So the first development of our
Ego is the result of parental upbringing. This is why psychologists spend a lot of time
looking at our early life circumstances and experiences. At the beginning of life, in
the absence of anything else, these are the ones that have the most impact. More so
because they control our lives unconsciously. Once we learn something we do it
automatically, without thinking. We are "programmed" by habits. We are a small
person in a big world - and we depend on others for survival (so we pay close attention
to instructions and demands).

EGO DEVELOPMENT

As we grow, we are led to experience a gradually widening consciousness of society.

First our immediate family, then close relations, and we gradually move outside the
home. All the time we are recording new information. Our Ego does not really start to
develop until we become free of parental control. It seems closely associated with
Free Will - and we do not have much as a child. We can see the main reason for
"teenage rebellion" is an attempt to achieve that freedom - but that is impossible until
we become financially self supporting. Teenage is an interim stage. "To old for toys.
Too young for boys". Another feature of teenage years is that we are exposed to
experiences that conflict with our parental upbringing. There are different points of
view from our peer group. When we step further into society, such as by meeting
parents of friends, or going to work, we are subjected to even more such challenges.
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Ego development basically means finding our true self as separate from upbringing
by our parents, and the expectations of our peers, work colleagues, and society as a
whole. To do this we have to be like actors playing parts on the different stages of life.
We have to adapt our behaviour to external circumstances whilst maintaining our
interior sense of integrity (Ego). We have to decide what "programming" is
appropriate, and what is not.

The next step of development comes around age 30 and after. It does not necessarily
affect everyone. Until then we have tended to be "followers" of a path set by our
parents. By then we should have become self supporting, and have probably married
and reproduced. We have fulfilled our parental expectations and biological function.
After this time physical symptoms set in to encourage us to the next stage. Men find
themselves unable to physically compete with younger men in sports, women are
coming to menopause. Not too long ago people did not live much beyond age 30.

We are coming to the age of "Mid Life Crisis". Life encourages us to take our personal
development further still. Having got to this stage, we may be in a position that, to
friends and society around, we have achieved success. However, an inner sense of
boredom sets in. Perhaps depression. Having achieved what is expected of us, we
begin to wonder if there is anything else to life. Nowadays life expectancy can be 100
years. The task now is, having satisfied external needs, we begin to listen to our own
inner self that sends messages (by removing its energy) that we need to seek further
self development - this time to discover our True Self. This tends to require that we
explore further afield to study areas of life that affect SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. Perhaps
like Astrology and Religion. Even Politics. The point being that we now have to satisfy
our own INTERNAL NEEDS.

MID LIFE CRISIS

This is what Jung called the path of Individuation. Not many people do this. It may be
they do not get "internal messages" - or if they do, they take no notice because they
are too intrenched in the past, and continue to repeat it rather than face an uncertain
future. They look for the bigger house, bigger car, more children ("before it's too late")
- or a new partner to relive the boredom. Another problem is that it is rather a lone
path, which not many are willing to undertake.

The main task throughout is to examine all our past programming and decide what is
appropriate as an adult in a modern world. This is difficult because habits are
unconscious - we are not aware of them. The way we do this is to listen to our inner
self, and how it reacts to outer circumstances, and, as in a court of law, SEEK
EVIDENCE for our previously unexamined beliefs an attitudes. In my case, it
involved studying and eventually practising Astrology and Tarot - and other esoteric
subjects. I had to do it my way because I had to overcome conflicting opinions and
evidence there too. And still do. I have made some amazing new discoveries by
combining them with Modern Science and Psychology.

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About the Author

Brian Baulsom
MNFSH.40 years research. 2 Books. www.CycleOfGrowth.com

Studied at Life Lessons

Lived in London
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