RE: The core problem of humanity
On my wls post I have a discussion going and this is probably a better wording for my perspective...
A human has a being. That being has awareness of itself. That awareness when externalized becomes EGO. To be aware internally is the I, the neutral observer. Once we externalize our individual perspective on self we present the EGO which is biased. That bias effects surroundings.
In the end the EGO is the concept that seems to stand between humanity being a compassionate, kind, caring species and one the one we have where division, hatred, and control rule.
The Ego is The Human Condition.
It is pretty much impossible to separate the human from the EGO after so many generations of ingraining the same concepts and ideologies of self, existence, and life. I believe if we were able to separate them we would find it is like Rick and Morty where they get the "toxins" removed. Human's would be unable to accept not having a bad side.
All pie eyed dreams for sure.
I think it's unrealistic to think humans can ever be perfect, since every strength we have is usually matched with some sort of weakness.
It's kind of like the Yin and the Yang. Every bad experience or trait has a hidden good inside of it and everything that is good also has a negative aspect.
I also still believe that the ego is the thought, feeling, and or sense of 'I' or 'I am'.
I personally meditated on the concept of 'I' to discover what it was and came to the conclusion that it is just a thought more or less, coupled with feelings and senses.
Behind the thoughts, feelings and senses lies an emptiness, the source of all existence. It's egoless and lacks a self but it also lacks qualities and details of any kind.
Everything that is aware of form has an ego, and only the formless and beings unaware of form lack an ego.