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Half Glass's Egoic Adventures:
A lesson in labels, perspectives, and identity

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Half Glass gets an ego
Half Glass rested comfortably on a table, sweetly enjoying the weather and the quiet hum of nature. His reverie was interrupted when Negative walked by.

“Oh, man,” Negative complained. “An Empty Glass. Why can’t we ever get a Full Glass around here?”

Half Glass had never given any thought to himself before. Negative’s words made him suddenly self-aware of his own existence. He was. But WHAT was he? According to Negative, he was Empty Glass. Half Glass adopted the identity of Empty Glass.

An identity crisis
Half Glass did not feel empty. Lost and confused, Half Glass asked for feedback. When Pessimist walked by, Half Glass asked, “Excuse me, sir, but am I empty?”

“You’re not empty,” Pessimist replied. Half Glass breathed a sigh of relief. Pessimist continued. “You’re half-empty. You should be full, but you’re not. I want a Full Glass, not a half-empty glass.”

As Pessimist’s rant continued, Half Glass despaired. Pessimist saw he wasn’t empty. But Pessimist condemned who he was. Half Glass discovered his ego, and that ego hurt. Feeling inadequate, Half Glass considered ways to get full, but felt too depressed to take action.

A false self
Half Glass wallowed in self-hatred until Positive walked by. “Oh, look,” Positive said. “A Full Glass. How wonderful to see a Full Glass. It makes me smile.”

Half Glass smiled too. Pessimist was wrong about him. He wasn’t half-empty. He was full. Half Glass took great pleasure in thinking of himself as full. He beamed with an egoic sense of pride. At times Half Glass felt an underlying sense of discomfort, but his ego quickly silenced his doubts.

Then Optimist walked by. “Oh, look,” Optimist said. “A half-full glass. I am happy to see a half-full glass.”

Half Glass’s ego resisted Optimist’s words. How dare Optimist suggest he was not Full Glass? But Optimist’s words ate at Half Glass’s ego until he faced himself. He was not Full Glass. Half Glass reluctantly adopted half-full as his new definition of himself.

Half Glass remembers who he is
Next, Realist walked by. “Oh, look,” Realist said. “A Half Glass. Half-full and half-empty depending on how we look at it.”

When Half Glass heard Realist’s words, he remembered who he was. He was Half Glass. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing all depended on the person looking. It had no bearing on his true nature. Suddenly, Half Glass realized he had tried to shape, distort, and present himself according to perceptions of others – perceptions that had nothing to do with who he was. Relieved, Half Glass rested comfortably on a table, sweetly enjoying the weather and the quiet hum of nature.

Half Glass is not fooled again
Then Proactive walked by. “Oh, look,” Proactive exclaimed. “A Half Glass. Half-full and half-empty. And if I want a full glass, I could fill Half Glass.”

There was a time when Half Glass would have been beside himself with excitement from hearing Proactive’s words. There was a time when Half Glass’s ego would have puffed with visions of Full Glass greatness. But now, Half Glass heard Proactive’s words with equilibrium. Half Glass wouldn’t mind a bit if Proactive filled him. Half Glass wouldn’t mind a bit If Proactive didn’t fill him.

Half Glass continued resting comfortably on a table, sweetly enjoying the weather and the quiet hum of nature.

A new level of awakening
Proactive filled Half Glass with water. Half Glass became Full Glass. Proactive drank the water. Half Glass became Empty Glass. Half Glass enjoyed both experiences.

That’s when Half Glass had a new realization. He exclaimed, “I’m still me!” Not only was he not defined by other’s perceptions of him, he was not defined by his form in the moment. Half Glass had been filled and emptied, and he was still himself.

Free of ego limitations, Half Glass continued enjoying the weather and the quiet hum of nature. It was sweeter than it ever had been before.

Notes:
Perspectives:
Negative negates the good and only sees bad.
Pessimist sees things as they are, but interprets to emphasize bad.
Positive negates bad and only sees good.
Optimist sees things as they are, and interprets to emphasize good.
Realist sees things as they are and knows anything beyond that is a matter of perspective and opinion.
Proactive sees things as they are and shapes them into what they could be…according to Proactive’s perceptions and opinions.

Half Glass is Half Glass no matter who looks at him.

Christopher Reeves gets past ego
At one point after Christopher Reeve’s riding accident, he considered suicide. His wife replied, “I'll be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You're still you. And I love you." Reeve never considered suicide as an option again. He wrote a book called Still Me.

Reeves died in 2004 and his wife died in 2006. Perhaps Reeves still remembers what his wife so clearly told him. Perhaps he continues to affirm, “I’m still me.”

Reader Discussion and comments about this article

How do you know if you're having an egoic reaction to something? Some of the signs for me are a compelling desire to compare, prove myself right, and dominate.

Wanting to understand what sent me into an egoic reaction is not an egoic reaction. But blaming the trigger for my own reaction is.

Please post your thoughts and comments on this article here.


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Meryl Runion and Speak Strong (SpeakStrong) provides Power Phrases (PowerPhrases) and other tools to help you improve communication skills at work and at home. You can read more about her at www.speakstrong.com.

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