The Clothes We Wear

It could be said that the ego is the clothes we wear, literally and figuratively. For many, it is uncomfortable to be (literally and figuratively) naked, as we’ve gone most our lives donning a role we have given ourselves either consciously or subconsciously. We may go through phases of throwing out the old and bringing in the new to show others that we ourselves have changed.

Have you ever noticed that you acted a little different wearing a pair of sunglasses? Do you feel a little more serious when others cannot see your eyes? Or perhaps when you have bought something new? Have you felt a “new” improved sense of oneself? A boost in confidence? When one finds a new story within themselves, they express it, and sometimes through their appearance.

What does this tell us? That one should be literally or figuratively naked to be without ego? I suppose that’s up to the individual, but perhaps being aware that you are naked and everyone else is naked under their donned cloth is enough to remember that underneath it all, we’re all the same. We’re all choosing who we are, knowingly or unknowingly. We are all expressions of existence, and as we are intelligent and living beings, there must be some expression of ego.

Remembering this may give us a nudge towards empathy and understanding towards ourselves and others. When things are bleak because of the stories you have told yourself, or notice that others are causing disharmony to themselves and the world around them, just remember the roles we have given ourselves. We are all children, cold and afraid when without sense of self and acknowledgment and those who have painful stories that they continue to dwell within are simply in need of love and understanding.