False modesty & Ego
Revealing False Modesty: Most Selfish Question, the Superpower of Your Ego
A secret to stop asking yourself if you are worth it, good enough, and ready for it?
Read on my website / Reading time 4 min.
Get the concept of “nobody” right. One time. For the whole life.
If you ever find yourself questioning your abilities and halting your endeavors, take solace in the fact that you are not alone in this experience.
Many others, just like you, have faced these same doubts and uncertainties.
I myself stepped away from the field of psychology when confronted with the profound query, “Who do you think you are?”
The excerpt from Chapter 4, The Gift of Sensitivity book
Your ego’s most sophisticated trick
On one particular day, my friend, a broken but still brave soul, invited me for coffee.
He was one of those people you recognize from the first moment, with a feeling of close connection.
He told me about Bhutan, its nature, and great insights, and showed me the crystal-clear gems that he arranged to become meaningful spiritual jewels just this month.
After a long pause, he said:
‘Come with us. These guys helped me to find the light within.’
It was a lecture at a Kabbalah center.
‘Kabbalah’ comes from the Hebrew word meaning ‘tradition’ or ‘received knowledge,’ and Kabbalistic thought is often considered Jewish mysticism.
The next day I met with a member of the community.
Answering her questions, I repeated yes, right; I left psychology because I could not answer the question of who you consider yourself to be.
I had no experience, and I was not a professional. She didn’t let me finish, and said: ‘this is the most selfish question, the superpower of your ego.’
Wait a moment.
I tried not to overstep my limits, to be humble and kind, not to jump over the people around me, to work for the result, and never speak for myself, so now she tells me I am selfish.
It was like a slap in the face.
Remembering the soft power of the question, I asked what it meant.
The lady explained it to me so simply and so meaningfully.
It was like somebody explicitly organized the whole situation, from the call of my friend to the conversation in the cozy coffee room of the Kabbalah center, where there were a lot of books and people reading around me — all of this was for me.
It was a concise explanation of the concept of ‘nobody.’
Imagine that you are a vessel of the divine, and a spark of this life passes through you.
In the middle of the flow, you suddenly stop it by asking, ‘Who are you to do/say/participate/experience this?’
This planet is still a planet of free will, where you and I can stop the spark flow by choice.
However, who are you to ask this question, being a vessel for the divine, judging it, and deciding what is right for you and what is not?
It isn’t straightforward to recognize such a judgment associated with modesty.
However, we are meant to understand that if we do not appreciate what is given, thinking and dreaming about something else, we are simply betraying ourselves.
I remembered the morning before the back pain attack and that question that hung in the air: «Who do you think you are?”
It signaled me to move straight ahead! I left with deep gratitude.
Although I did not become a follower of the Kabbalah or any other teachings, I respect the spiritual search within any discipline.
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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:
- The Gift of Sensitivity Book saves your precious time summarising 8 years of research & personal journey explaining the role of emotions, the crucial difference between sensitivity and vulnerability, and how to own a superpower for a future with extraordinary faculties such as creativity, originality, innovation, intuition, flexibility, and inclusiveness in times of technological acceleration.
- Human Emotional Potential Newsletter informs you with a mosaic of perspectives and insights on how emotional depth can fuel transformation, expedite learning, and activate greater cognitive capacities. Here vulnerability meets strength and sensitivity is recast not as a liability, but as a potent asset.
- Notes of Sensitive Resurgent Practical Guide promotes you sharing your story and/or questions. Notes of Sensitive Resurgent is a practical “how-to” guide, with a target for understanding and experiencing what’s possible when we tap into our innate abilities. Let’s grow together!
