People tend to get confused with the term “ego” as they do with the term “greed”.
Ego is something everyone is born with - of itself it is neutral. The term “ego” seems to be used these days to mean “false bravado” which is based on a false assessment of oneself and surroundings. However, ego also means “confidence” which is based on an accurate assessment of oneself and surroundings. In today’s anti-masculine culture, “ego” is meant to deride genuine male confidence.
Trump and Obama both have self confidence. But notice the Left leaves Obama’s “ego” or confidence alone. They only use “ego” to deride confident people on the Right.
I don’t think either Trump or Obama has false bravado. Both believe in who they are and what they are doing. The difference is Trump’s confidence is productive whereas Obama’s confidence is destructive.
BTW, since we’re talking about confusion of terms, “greed” is another word that is misused in popular culture and the Left to deride what generates profits and wealth in the free market. It is also interesting that the Left leaves alone the greed and avarice of those in government. The Left never talks about “greed” in government, only in business and the free market.
But there’s a difference between “greed” and individual self interest. Everyone is born with individual self interest. If we didn’t have individual self interest, we would die. The world turns on individual self interest. Self interest is what motivates new business risk, investment, and innovation. Individual self interest is a wealth-producing engine and is what drives the voluntary cooperation of the free market. Individual self interest involves the voluntary willingness to cooperate and undergo risk for the prospect of reward in the free market.
“Greed”, on the other hand, implies a monopolistic lust for power. “Greed” is generally a much more accurate description of government motivation than business motivation becasue government interest involves a lust to forcibly take what is yours from you. Government greed involves force and coercion to get what government wants.
Most people miss that this drama plays out against a background of love and hate — of God and the devil.
One will eventually end up as the devoted servant of one or the other.
The desire to love God does not equate to devils’ lusts, that through trickery and lies appear as if they privately belonged to us even though they do not.
Very well said