Gita Says Your Ego Hurts Because You Don’t Know Who You Are
Riya Kumari | Jun 24, 2025, 23:59 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau, Timeslife )
Let me guess: someone didn’t text back, someone else got the promotion you barely admitted to wanting, and now you’re aggressively Googling “how to be more confident” like it’s a secret Pinterest board you just haven’t unlocked yet. Meanwhile, your ego—your sweet, drama-prone, totally misunderstood ego—is sitting in the corner with a tub of cookie dough, screaming “WHO EVEN AM I???” in all caps.
There’s a reason your ego flares up when someone ignores you. When they reject you. When they succeed faster than you. When they don’t acknowledge your effort. And no—it’s not because you're weak. It’s because you’ve forgotten who you are. That’s not a poetic exaggeration. That’s the central, burning truth the Bhagavad Gita reveals. And once you understand it, everything changes.
Ego Is a Mask You Mistake as Your Face
The ego isn’t some demonic flaw to be destroyed. It’s simply your idea of yourself. It’s the image you’ve built over time—your name, your roles, your achievements, your failures, your insecurities. But that’s the trap. When someone challenges or dismisses that image, it hurts. Why? Because you think that image is you.
But according to Krishna in the Gita, you are not your image. You are not your job, not your relationship status, not even your personality. You are the unchanging awareness behind it all. The one who watches your thoughts. The one who sees the highs and the lows but isn’t either.
Why It Hurts So Much: Because You Placed Value Outside You
Your ego is built on borrowed definitions.
“He who is not disturbed by praise or blame, who is the same in honor and dishonor, he is dear to Me.” (Gita 12.18-19)
Not because you shouldn’t care. But because your value was never up for debate. The moment you know yourself as the Self—beyond this limited body and identity—your worth becomes non-negotiable.
And the ego? It begins to dissolve. Naturally. Gently. Powerfully.
So Who Are You, Really?
You are Atman—the infinite, untouched consciousness. Nothing outside can add to you. Nothing missing can subtract from you. The ego screams, “I’m not enough—make me more!” The Self whispers, “I am complete. I lack nothing.”
This is not about detachment in the cold, aloof way people fear. It’s about reclaiming your inner stability, so you're no longer at the mercy of the world’s unpredictable weather.
What Happens When You Know Who You Are
You stop trying to prove. You stop trying to win admiration. You stop needing to be right all the time. Because your peace no longer depends on external validation. You don’t become arrogant. You become calm. Rooted. Unshakeable. Your actions are no longer reactive—they’re aligned. Your self-respect isn’t fragile—it’s foundational.
And this is where true freedom begins. When you remember who you are, you don’t have to defend your ego. You simply exist—fully, lightly, joyfully.
Final Thought
If your ego is hurting, it’s not a sign to fight harder or hide deeper. It’s a call to awaken. A sign that you've mistaken your reflection for your reality. Let the pain of the ego guide you back to the truth of your being.
Because once you know who you are, the world can’t hurt you the same way again. And in that knowing, you'll finally feel what the ego was always chasing: Peace.
Ego Is a Mask You Mistake as Your Face
Image
( Image credit : Pexels )
The ego isn’t some demonic flaw to be destroyed. It’s simply your idea of yourself. It’s the image you’ve built over time—your name, your roles, your achievements, your failures, your insecurities. But that’s the trap. When someone challenges or dismisses that image, it hurts. Why? Because you think that image is you.
But according to Krishna in the Gita, you are not your image. You are not your job, not your relationship status, not even your personality. You are the unchanging awareness behind it all. The one who watches your thoughts. The one who sees the highs and the lows but isn’t either.
Why It Hurts So Much: Because You Placed Value Outside You
Clap
( Image credit : Pexels )
Your ego is built on borrowed definitions.
- You think you're worthy because someone loves you.
- You think you’re successful because someone applauds you.
- You think you matter because the world validates you.
“He who is not disturbed by praise or blame, who is the same in honor and dishonor, he is dear to Me.” (Gita 12.18-19)
Not because you shouldn’t care. But because your value was never up for debate. The moment you know yourself as the Self—beyond this limited body and identity—your worth becomes non-negotiable.
And the ego? It begins to dissolve. Naturally. Gently. Powerfully.
So Who Are You, Really?
Story
( Image credit : Pexels )
You are Atman—the infinite, untouched consciousness. Nothing outside can add to you. Nothing missing can subtract from you. The ego screams, “I’m not enough—make me more!” The Self whispers, “I am complete. I lack nothing.”
This is not about detachment in the cold, aloof way people fear. It’s about reclaiming your inner stability, so you're no longer at the mercy of the world’s unpredictable weather.
What Happens When You Know Who You Are
Peace
( Image credit : Pexels )
You stop trying to prove. You stop trying to win admiration. You stop needing to be right all the time. Because your peace no longer depends on external validation. You don’t become arrogant. You become calm. Rooted. Unshakeable. Your actions are no longer reactive—they’re aligned. Your self-respect isn’t fragile—it’s foundational.
And this is where true freedom begins. When you remember who you are, you don’t have to defend your ego. You simply exist—fully, lightly, joyfully.
Final Thought
Because once you know who you are, the world can’t hurt you the same way again. And in that knowing, you'll finally feel what the ego was always chasing: Peace.