Ego arises when we dwell on our abilities and become intoxicated by having them, parading them before others, especially those who don’t have similar abilities.

Insecurity, on the other hand, comes when we dwell on our inabilities, letting such contemplation erode, and maybe even eradicate, our sense of self-worth and self-confidence.

To avoid both these extremes and position ourselves in the middle, we need a vision that is holistic and wholesome. A holistic vision means seeing both our abilities and inabilities, not just one. A wholesome vision means looking at our abilities and inabilities in a way that is healthy and uplifting, not unhealthy and demoralizing.

A wholesome vision of our abilities would be to see that they are not our entitlements but our endowments – gifts given to us by God, meant to be used in a mood of service, doing good to the world, and serving God, who is the giver of those gifts.

When we look at our inabilities, we can see them as reminders that we are not God, that we cannot do everything, even if we can do some things well and some things much better than others.

Thus, dwelling on our abilities can give us confidence, avoiding the negativity of insecurity. And dwelling on our inabilities can ensure that our confidence does not grow into overconfidence, protecting us from the pitfall of ego or arrogance.

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13.08 Humility; pridelessness; nonviolence; tolerance; simplicity; approaching a bona fide spiritual master; cleanliness; steadiness; self-control; … [ – all these I declare to be knowledge, and besides this whatever there may be is ignorance].