Thread: Observing Ego?

i was reading some stuf written by Dr. Paul Dobranski today when i came across the topic of observing ego. basicly he says Observing Ego is the mechanism through which you can monitor yourself in real time. The idea is that we all have an inherent mechanism where we can see our behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and actions in real time as they are being created. Furthermore, we can become aware of why these forces are coming into effect, and make proactive changes as necessary to avoid negative consequences, or turn situations into positive learning experiences. is the jist of it. what do you guys think of observing ego fact or crap?

I'm unsure how it's supposed to differ from the concept of "awareness."

i think awareness is way more general than observing ego. From what i've read awareness is a state of mind. observing ego is taking direct action on what ever the state of mind might be.
the five steps of observing ego are ...

1.becoming aware of one's own thoughts and actions through a personal inventory
2. taking responsibility to understand these thoughts and actions and resolve to change
3. catching oneself in the act of thinking and/or reacting
4. comprehending the source and utility of such thoughts and actions
5. rendering these outdated mechanisms useless through positive choices in thought and action.

i was reading some stuf written by Dr. Paul Dobranski today when i came across the topic of observing ego. basicly he says Observing Ego is the mechanism through which you can monitor yourself in real time.

I have not read the book but it sounds simalar to the basic idea behind Buddhism .. being "mindful". Where things get a bit fuzzy where Buddhism departs from basic biology is the point where consciousness occuppies a place or space independent of a biological body.

So the where do we go when we die puzzle ? ... or what's left of us when the body ends.

Meditation is the practical skill or mechanism in Buddhism that cultivates being mindful or as you say being aware of yourself but independent of that self that is to say beyond the knee jerk reaction. "Watching the ego".

I can not say anything about the book you referenced but the general idea .. if I understand you correctly has it's merrits.

MB

Originally Posted by 61655

the five steps of observing ego are ...

1.becoming aware of one's own thoughts and actions through a personal inventory
2. taking responsibility to understand these thoughts and actions and resolve to change
3. catching oneself in the act of thinking and/or reacting
4. comprehending the source and utility of such thoughts and actions
5. rendering these outdated mechanisms useless through positive choices in thought and action.

These apparently authoritative yet meaningless statements are common to pop psychology. If one takes them seriously they do serve a useful purpose in causing one to reflect, in the same way horoscopes do.