10 - H4H News: How Does the Ego Use Judgement?

Synopsis: Hope for Humanity News is a series of three to five-minute weekly podcasts designed to educate, inspire, and comfort listeners during these challenging, but hopeful times. 

Hi everyone! Welcome to Hope for Humanity News! I’m Reverend Joan Kistler.

Last week we ended our broadcast stating that one of the ego’s favorite tactics for leading us away from the present moment is judgment.

How does the ego use judgment?

The ego resists reality, and judgement is its primary resistance weapon. The ego is really into its beliefs and opinions and will defend them at all costs. That’s because beliefs and opinions are the house of cards upon which its illusory identity is built.

The ego has beliefs and opinions about everything, and it has to be right, or its illusory house of cards collapses. Since reality is its enemy, the ego must always judge against it with reasons that are always right and “solutions” that are always right.

When we identify with the ego’s beliefs and opinions, its judgements and solutions seem perfectly reasonable. At that point, we’re ego-hijacked, and we’re far more likely to act out its solutions, no matter how senseless or destructive. Why? Because we’re right.

The ego constantly passes judgments against us, others, and life in general. We’re never good enough, others are never good enough, and life is never good enough. It uses this discontent to drive us out of the present moment.

It tells us, “If you do this, then you’ll be happy.” The problem is that this is its “solution” for every single moment of reality. So, as long as we’re identified with the ego, we will never be happy. It will have us forever chasing after happiness instead of choosing to be happy now.

Essence, on the other hand, doesn’t argue with reality. At the moment, we are exactly as we are supposed to be, others are exactly as they are supposed to be, and life is exactly as it is supposed to be.

Why? Because it’s reality. No amount of imagining or wishing that it “could” or “should” or “ought to be” any other way will change it.

So, if we find ourselves thinking negative thoughts about ourselves, others, or life in general, we can be absolutely certain that the ego is talking to us. And if we’re feeling painful emotions, we can be absolutely certain that we are believing what it is telling us.

Painful emotions, like anger and fear, are powerful weapons in the ego’s arsenal.

How does the ego use anger and fear to lead us away from the present moment?

Tune in next week.