[danielbigham]

This year for whatever reason I keep seeing the concept of "integration" in everything, and have also become interested in what feels like the opposite -- division and separation -- so when I read "Ego is all about division and separation", it really piqued my curiosity. Could you elaborate on that?

[McWobbleston]

Looking at the physical world it seems what "I" am is the integration of the cells/components of my body with the rest of universe to create a point of experience. That point of experience only exists with the integration of everything, and "I" is a component of that which would not exist otherwise. Ego ignores this and tells us we are separate from the whole process and often that we are above it, but the concept of my independent self may be an abstraction that helps my mind cope with survival in the natural world

[rabidrat]

You can't have a "self" without reference to an "other". When you say to yourself "I am a good programmer", it must be by comparison to all the other not-good programmers.

There is a subtle but very important difference between discernment (taste) and judgment (comparison). Discernment is about the integrated relationship/system or the impersonal action/outcome, rather than the actor/person/self. It is not just a semantic coincidence that framing things in "I" language tends strongly towards judgment.

[I've reflected a lot on this topic but I'm not very good at expressing my understanding. Hopefully the above is helpful for what you were asking.]

[tracker1]

It doesn't have to be a zero sum comparison. One can be "good" at something so long as the goals are met.

[rabidrat]

It doesn't have to be, and yet, when we do the comparison, it usually is. Why is that?

[tracker1]

Try explaining anything without comparing it to something else.