The spirit of the ego

First things first.

  

(belated)  Chris!  Hope you enjoyed your day :) my dear sister.

 

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear but around in awareness.  --James Thurber

 

At a recent staff meeting a co-worker and I engaged in a short debate.  My co-worker made the observation that "People are instinctively led by their ego and make their decisions to suit themselves.  That's how the world operates and that's how people are."

At the sound of those words, a discordant string snapped inside me.  "I disagree.  It is the spirit that leads an individual; after all, if you crush a person's ego the person can and will carry on...they are not defeated. Their spirit will take it from there.  But crush a person's spirit and you take everything away.  They are more likely to feel defeated and just give up."

This wasn't necessarily a who is right or wrong discussion but rather two very different perspectives based on two completely different backgrounds.  But now I'm curious; anyone else care to weigh in?