Preservation of the False self and Inflicting Pain Onto Others

When identity is the leading motivation for action in a person, are the results chaotic in nature and generally unskillful. The grasping of external concepts or even the company of other people and assuming their part in our daily life is an act of selfishness and a vain attempt of control. In reality, a person cannot be in control of their surroundings, and as the world is vastly complex, no accurate predicions cannot be made about the future. This is more noticeabe in personal relationships where either illogicality or general malicious external influences can destroy or weaken relationships. Change, destruction and death are natural, and a person should not be suprised when their livelihood changes or even when a directly malicious action has affected their life. Although if one is to live well, they should totally avoid personally acting maliciously towards others.

Controlling action caused by ego preservation leads a person to affect their external situation. The over identification with a concept causes a person to misunderstand others and hallucinate things into existence. This happens commonly when a person has an idea of their own personality and clings to it, leading to attempts of mind-reading and guess games about others and their opinions and moods. People extend this into their relationships and play power games, which are ultimately based on hallucinated opinions, cause pain to the recipient and destroy the relationship. The act of reinforcing ones “identity” is rarely an internal effort, and often consists directly of an act of causing pain to the external world, others and the person themselves.

Most people are unconsciously stuck with an idea of their own self with respect to some group or organization. This causes extreme anxiousness in some people when their perception of some static situation changes. People who have assumed their external situation, and some part of their personality as unchanging, will fight the natural process and at times cause pain to the external world when they are subjected to change.

You are not your belongings, your social position, your friends, your nationality, your personality or your thoughts. Luke 14:26