Our ego can be a dangerous thing.
Now “ego” here simply means
That sense of “I” that gets in our way.
I wonder: is it in our genes?
 
(I’m not referring to the ego discussed
By the famous Austrian, Sigmund Freud;
All of that psychological jargon
Is something I intend to avoid.)
 
The ego that I am talking about
Is the one that loves to believe
That the WHOLE world REVOLVES around it,
And won’t give but loves to receive.
 
It’s the same ego that feeds our impatience
When many people simply don’t see
That their actions reflect the attitude,
"Don't you know it’s all about ME?”
 
Our ego, too, can fan our temper
When unexpected incidents upset us,
And when things go wrong we think
That somebody is out to get us.
 
Our friend the ego—a bit insecure—
Has us believing in retribution,
And any affront to our character demands
That getting even's our only solution.
 
The poor ego is devastated
When it feels major rejection;
And men’s egos are completely destroyed
When they can’t get an *******.
 
If we can somehow let go of our ego
And  try to take life as it comes,
We’ll encounter much less stress
And end up chewing on fewer Tums.
 
Or we'll find that conquering our ego
Will provide the consolation
Of truly appreciating our lives
With much less medication.

- by Bob B