"The Captain" and "Ego"

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hilarius

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Post Number: 943
Registered: 04-2004

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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 04:08 am:

Dear Captain Chazza

As your stowaway spiritual counsellor, I was interested in your "Ego" response in another thread.

Why were you the one who decided to respond to my plea for parking of ego?

Did you feel the prick of conscience, or is Ego a topic that has attracted your life long interest?

In asking this I am wondering whether you are familiar with the famous poem of William Ernest Henley, that has been rendered somewhat less popular by being claimed by Timothy McVeigh (the home grown American terrorist)

The poem expresses the extraordinary growth in humanism and self reliance that distinguished the Victorian era in Britain

It had resonance for those no longer willing to entrust their lives to the Christian Church or its founder

Yet Christians find something to admire in its celebration of the human spirit when faced with adversity, as Henley so clearly was ... with a crippling disease from which he ultimately died

The poem was quoted to me in my youth with various degrees of enthusiasm by people who thought that we alone control our own fate ... a view to which I do not now subscribe

My personal position is that we are invited to join actively in a partnership with the God who created us, but for what it is worth here is the stout self reliance taught in Henley's poem Invictus. It is a poem that helped the Victorians in Britain to build railways round the world ... but in worshipping self reliance does it really serve the need for a better world, or offer enough insight and inspiration if all we can rely on is ourselves?

Invictus

By William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Footnote from a googled web-site :-

"Invictus", as it has come to be called, is the only poem composed by William Ernest Henley that saves him from fading into obscurity amongst Victorian writers. Despite an impressive body of work, a brilliant career as an editor, and relations with other more popular writers, Henley's accomplishments, save for "Invictus", are unfairly overlooked. At least, however, the poem that he is most remembered for presents an accurate portrayal of this truly interesting person.

Probably the most important aspect of "Invictus" is Henley's agnostic attitude. Unsure of any one particular god, he thanks "whatever gods may be;" that is, if there are any gods at all. By the end of the poem, it is clear that the existence of any god or gods is purely inconsequential to Henley's own existence. He is the master of his fate, the captain of his soul. He is the champion of self-reliance, and challenges the notion that man cannot rely upon inner strength alone, that he must have the help of some sort of deity in order to survive in this world. Henley's feelings towards these experiences were most likely born out of his harrowing hospital experiences, and his powerful triumph over tuberculosis. "Invictus" is the poem of a survivor, and a survivor is exactly what Henley was.

(Message edited by Hilarius on September 02, 2005)

I come in peace to share my thoughts and to shine my candle light on possible long term opportunities

colin_twiggs

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Post Number: 1995
Registered: 09-2002

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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 11:20 am:

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

An interesting paradox -- that we are all masters of our own fate and yet we are all dependent on others. Our humanity comes from our belonging to communities or groups - the social bonds that bind us.

Regards,
Colin

stoploss

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Post Number: 214
Registered: 03-2004

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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 01:19 pm:

I guess a few people in new orleans have learned differently:

we are not masters of fates and souls. God is.

SL

..then again..I could be totally wrong. So use your own brain and let me know what it brought up.

ingot54

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Post Number: 716
Registered: 05-2004

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Votes: 0


Friday, September 02, 2005 - 01:31 pm:

I like the way you put it, Hilarius -

My personal position is that we are invited to join actively in a partnership with the God who created us

Pity we couldn't live like it all the time, instead of "crying out to Him in our day of trouble..." as the Psalmist wrote.

Many will be doing just that, on any given day, in any given part of the world. We see it so frequently - hunger, disease, violence, sick children, broken finances ...to Whom do we turn?

Inside every one of us, we have to find that answer.

Keep Smiling

ann

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Post Number: 921
Registered: 04-2004

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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 05:34 pm:

EGO IS NOT A DIRTY WORD

Skyhooks
G.Macainsh
w/adaption

If I did not have an ego I would not be here tonight
If I did not have an ego I might not think that I was right
If you did not have an ego you might not care the way you dressed
If you did not have an ego you'd just be like the rest

Chorus
Ego is not a dirty word
Ego is not a dirty word
Ego is not a dirty word
Don't you believe what you've seen or heard

If Jesus had an ego he'd still be alive today
And if Nixon had no ego he might not be in decay
If you did not have an ego you might not care too much who won
If I did not have an ego I might just have some fun

Chorus

Some people keep their egos in a bottom drawer
A fridge full of Leonard Cohen
Have to get drunk just to walk out the door
Stay drunk to keep on goin'
So if you got an ego
You better keep it in good shape
Exercise it daily
And get it down on tape

holycow

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Post Number: 1681
Registered: 08-2004

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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 07:01 pm:

... well, Sigmund Freud and his daughter Anna are here to help, check them out and learn to be a DIY "psycho-analyst".

The defense mechanisms

Freud once said "life is not easy!"

The ego -- the "I" -- sits at the center of some pretty powerful forces: reality; society, as represented by the superego; biology, as represented by the id. When these make conflicting demands upon the poor ego, it is understandable if it -- if you -- feel threatened, fell overwhelmed, feel as if it were about to collapse under the weight of it all. This feeling is called anxiety, and it serves as a signal to the ego that its survival, and with it the survival of the whole organism, is in jeopardy.

The ego deals with the demands of reality, the id, and the superego as best as it can. But when the anxiety becomes overwhelming, the ego must defend itself. It does so by unconsciously blocking the impulses or distorting them into a more acceptable, less threatening form. The techniques are called the ego defense mechanisms, and Freud, his daughter Anna, and other disciples have discovered quite a few.

Denial involves blocking external events from awareness. If some situation is just too much to handle, the person just refuses to experience it. As you might imagine, this is a primitive and dangerous defense -- no one disregards reality and gets away with it for long! It can operate by itself or, more commonly, in combination with other, more subtle mechanisms that support it...

ps: just found a better one here

(Message edited by holycow on September 02, 2005)

HC

"... if you've got a chart, I have an opinion!"

ann

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Post Number: 923
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Friday, September 02, 2005 - 07:21 pm:

That was an interesting link HC.....

Very macho...Its heading was.....................

The Higher WE

Women can't ....so we don't bother to try!!!!!

ingot54

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Post Number: 721
Registered: 05-2004

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Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:22 am:

I liked your lyrics Ann. I know the song, but never appreciated the lyrics before now.

We all DO have an EGO. But I think unless we appreciate that OTHERS do too, our ego will just be market noise, so to speak.

Let me illustrate. The chart below is EGO. You will note that it has a very poor trading range, and operates below the 200 day Moving Average!

Going by the flat line, it does not seem to have reasonable prospects. Why? The commodities boom, the sector performance, all seem to have had no effect on EGO. Everyone else enjoys the feeling of well-being surrounding a boom, but not EGO.

I shall venture to say, that this is what happens when EGO operates alone. It become unhealthy, and no one wants it.

If you go back a bit, EGO does look good, in patches, but it eventually gets sick, and looks very unhealthy. JMV

And at less than one cent, EGO is not worth much!

Food for thought!

ego

Keep Smiling

holycow

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Post Number: 1685
Registered: 08-2004

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Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 09:41 am:

In most cases, an EgOISTIC reaction is a defensive mechanism... what is important is to look at the reason why a person feel "DEFENSIVE".

Some manifested behaviour worth looking into are:

1) arrogant way of writing;
2) brushing aside other's view;
3) belittling other;
4) antagonising approach in writing;
5) defensive way of writing;
6) taking too personally with disagreeing view;
7) abusive and sarcastic way of writing;
8) the "I" way of writing, instead of "WE"... "I said this, I did this" is the most common way of asking for recognition;

Here are some words that may make some sense...
1) Assertiveness;
2) Self-pride, self-esteem, self-worth;
3) Arrogance, humbleness(?), humility;
4) Forgiving, magnanimity, kindness;

... not judging anyone here for personally I am aware of my own problem and how I write and react to other's disagreement. The first step towards a cure is to know what are the weakness we exhibit. This thing takes time but I found it best not to take thing too seriously in the cyber world, and if we can't avoid "seriousness", then try to inject a little HUMOUR into the "conversation" and try to see it from the lighter side may help.

Cheers.

... from your regular radio talk show host, Dr. HC Feelgood, MDS, PHD, BSC, TA, FA, IA, PA... and blah blah blah

HC

"... if you've got a chart, I have an opinion!"

holycow

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Post Number: 1686
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Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 09:49 am:

Oops!

I have not read ANN's "Fatuous" outburst before I write this... now I am in big trouble! Doh!

HC

"... if you've got a chart, I have an opinion!"

stoploss

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Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 12:44 pm:

..I liked what I read in your link, HC. As we get older for most/some of us the Ego is less and less important. It's called personal growth. Ego needs are probably necessary earlier in life perhaps for motivation etc. Then again younger people seem to seek temporary relief from Ego demands by taking E-tabbies and the like in order to embrace the rest of humanity??

Satisfying our Ego is quite onerous and gets in the way of what we would like to do rather then what we think we should do.

..then again..I could be totally wrong. So use your own brain and let me know what it brought up.

ann

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Post Number: 930
Registered: 04-2004

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Saturday, September 03, 2005 - 06:49 pm:

HC,

You will never be in trouble with me, you feed me too well!!!

I hope you weren't shorting any of the Yank Indices on my bullish feelings about the market. I know you use me as an indicator for the opposite but HC you must always realize I Yes the big I.......can be wrong. IIIIiiiiii am often wrong. So anyone who thinks IIIIIiiiii am the Holey Grale. Tuff! IIIIIiiiii am not even the born again messiah. In fact any minute IIIIIIIIiiiii am expecting to post and find IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii have been excommunicated!!

Yes Colin, I am on the turps again...how can you tell?? Apart from it being Saturday night

Cheers all
Ann

holycow

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Post Number: 1692
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Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 12:07 pm: