Ego is a Tool

I’ve come to realize that the ego has a much more important role than just protecting us.

It doesn’t only guard the body or defend identity. When it’s aligned properly, it works in harmony with spiritual growth.

If we think of ourselves as souls having a human experience—spirit embodied in material form—then perhaps what we call ego is part of the mechanism that allows us to be bold in ways pure spirit might not be.

The ego says, I can do that. It pushes. It strives. It tests limits.

For years, the four-minute mile was considered impossible. Then one person did it. And suddenly, it wasn’t impossible anymore. It opened a corridor. Once the barrier was broken, many others followed.

The same pattern shows up in other arenas—athletics, art, science. Someone attempts what hasn’t been done. There’s courage there. There’s drive. Sometimes even a bit of arrogance. But that very boldness expands the field of what’s possible for everyone else. What looked like ego becomes evolution.

The first person to land a complex jump in skating, the first to master a technical move, the first to create something groundbreaking—once it’s done, it enters collective awareness. The door is open. Others walk through.

In that sense, the ego can serve growth. It fuels mastery. It pushes passion. It says, let me try. Let me see how far I can go. And when that drive is aligned with purpose rather than insecurity, it becomes a vehicle for expansion.

You could even say that in those moments, consciousness itself expands. When one person stretches the boundary of what’s possible, it ripples outward. So, the ego isn’t meant to dominate or control: It’s also not meant to be eliminated.

It’s a tool.

It provides the ambition, the stamina, the willingness to take risks. It allows spirit to express boldly in the material world.

When spirit provides direction and the ego provides propulsion, growth happens. And when one person rises in mastery, it often becomes a stepping stone for many others.

That’s not ego as illusion.

That’s ego as a catalyst.