How to Not Have a Big Ego

Changing Your Perspective

Stop comparing. Regardless if it is directed towards the positive or the negative, playing the comparison game can result in greater anxiety, depression, and poor decision-making. There are always two sides to a coin. You may look at someone and say yourself “I’m so much better at this than him”. It is just as likely that the other person surpasses you on some other trait. You can stop comparing when you start appreciating more. Rather than measuring up to an ideal in your head, simply respect and appreciate what others have to offer as individuals. Remind yourself that no one is perfect, including yourself. If you must compare, hold yourself up to the person you were yesterday.

Modify the way you look at failure. A person with a big ego might think of failure as the end of the world. You shouldn’t. Having a fearful attitude about failure can convince you to not try again, or even to develop smaller goals. Failure provides you with an opportunity to refine your knowledge and skills. Learn to celebrate each failure as bringing you one step closer to success. Pay attention to how you currently react to setbacks. Do you beat yourself up? Drop all your big plans? Decide how you would like to react, and do it. Maybe you want to closely examine what happened and change your plans to account for the new information you now know. Give yourself a pep talk. Find some inspiring quotes and place them around your living or work environment. Repeat a powerful mantra to yourself after each setback.

Change your views on success. In today's high-octane society, success may only be measured by tangible outcomes, such as a trophy, a pat on the back, or a career promotion. Depending on these things can make you have a big ego when you shouldn't, because there are many other ways to measure success than with money or awards. Another way of looking at success is to think of it as a journey. There is one saying about success being the progressive realization towards a worthy ideal. In other words, as long as you are steadily moving (even in the case of making baby steps) towards your goals, you are successful--even if your boss or teachers don't notice and you aren't subsequently rewarded. In the meantime, try not to be so boastful about your successes. Quietly applaud yourself on a job well-done, but be sure to extend the same credit to others. A surefire way to not having a big ego is being able to share success and victory with your peers.

Release your expectations. Having extremely high expectations for yourself or others could be contributing to your ego problem. Expectations shape the way we view ourselves and the world around us. As a result, we respond to our environment depending on these expectations. When we release ourselves from the expectations trap, we have the power to look at ourselves and the world from a new perspective. Look for unreasonable fantasies that guide your actions. Maybe you were told as a child that if you act like you own the room, everyone feels like you do. This may work, but it may also cause others to distance themselves in the process. Throw away “If, then” principles, and define success in your own way. Practice mindfulness. Strive to be fully present in every moment of your life. That way you are not limited by past or future-oriented thinking that limits the now. Start with a beginner’s mind. Believing that we know everything about a given situation can cause us to not see the full picture. To counteract this expectation trap, enter every situation as if you are doing it for the first time. That way you have the openness to receive new ideas and new points-of-view.

Changing the Way You Interact

Learn to compromise. Getting your ego under control is largely about getting used to meeting others in the middle. Whether it’s at work or in your relationships, mastering the art of compromise can help you and others interact more effectively. Here are some easy tips for compromising: Reconsider your motives. Again, when you reach a stalemate with someone you should question whether you are disagreeing because you feel superior or inferior. Relent some if one of these factors is driving your friction. Try to find some middle ground that mutually benefits everyone included. Decide what’s important. Remember there is no “I” in team. What collective goal are you moving towards? Are you willing to bend a little to help reach a mutual objective? Recognize that compromise does not mean defeat. Working with another person to reach a goal while forfeiting something minor (like being right or dominant) is totally worth it. Just be sure that those variables that really matter, such as your personal beliefs or values, are never compromised.

Welcome a difference in opinion. Becoming upset when others have conflicting views won’t accomplish anything. A certain degree of friction in your personal and professional life can be healthy, too. There’s a popular saying that goes “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking”. The same is true in your interactions with others—if everyone is always agreeing with you, then you are only ever getting one opinion. While that may feel good, it is incredibly limiting for your personal and/or career growth. This isn’t saying go out and pick a fight with your partner or coworker just because. What is being suggested is that you do not have to put your foot down and shut off communication whenever you feel slightly threatened. Sometimes, hearing a viewpoint different from your own can challenge you to look at the world in a brand new way.

Become interested in others. Rather than spending a great deal of your interactions talking about yourself, take an interest in others. Showing genuine interest will get you a lot further than trying to force people to be interested in you. There are many ways you can show interest in others. Make eye contact. Orient in the speaker’s direction. Uncross your legs and arms. Practice active listening by listening to understand rather than to reply. Before sharing anything of your own, paraphrase what the other person said and ask questions to clarify like “Are you saying…?”. Use the person’s name. Ask about something you know is important to him or her, such as any children or a favorite hobby. Say something like “Hi, Donna! Have you taken the boat out lately?” Pay a compliment. This can be challenging, but give it a try. Instead of focusing on yourself, direct your energy outwards. Look for things you truly appreciate in others—their clean-cut appearance, their effort, or their personalities. Take the time to let these individuals know that you appreciate these traits. For example, you might say “Hey, man, your energy for this project is really contagious. Thanks!”

Recognizing the Ego at Play

Question yourself. Despite constant run-ins with people at work or home, you may be doubtful that you actually have an ego problem. There are many complex routes one can use to describe the ego. Perhaps the best descriptions is the approval-seeking part of yourself. In order to find out if your ego is running the show in a given situation, ask yourself two questions: ”Do I feel superior to others?” ”Do I feel inferior to others?” If you answered “yes” to either of these your ego is likely running the show. It may make sense to you that feeling superior is a sign of a big ego. You probably didn’t know, however, that feeling lesser than those around you can be an ego problem, too.

Notice when you engage in turf wars. People with big egos tend to have a problem with others crossing into what they feel is their territory. Your best friend tries to give you some insight on how to perfect your golf skills. Your manager who sits behind a desk all day thinks he can tell you how to do your job better. If you feel a rise after situations similar to those described above, your ego is at play. You may get angry when people try to give you suggestions about things you think you already know. You may refuse help. When people offer up viable ideas that outshine your own, you dismiss them so that your ideas are not diminished.

Determine if you are offended easily. An inflated ego may not always be clearly apparent. Sometimes, having a big ego is demonstrated by how quickly you get offended by opposing views. A person with a big ego tends to think he has it all in the bag. When someone disagrees with your viewpoint or criticizes it, you feel as if your very competence is being questioned. You may have trouble noticing the signs of being easily offended. Observe your interactions for a few days. Are people around you steadily apologizing for ticking you off? Do you always have to calm yourself down after someone angers you? You may be dealing with an ego problem.