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On the Productive Use of Ego
In one of my recent articles on pleasure, I wrote, “I find intellectual debates invigorating — they provide a dopamine boost, especially when I prevail.” A friend responded with an intriguing question:
So this brings up what, to me, is an interesting question. There are two things I have trouble wrapping my head around: punishment and competition. Winning an intellectual argument and seeing your thoughts validated is delightful. Beating an opponent, to me, has a whiff of undignified behavior that I don’t think is justified. Do you have a sense of the value of competition, particularly winning, from a Buddhist perspective?
This is indeed a thoughtful question, touching on profound issues of human motivation, dignity, and the role of ego. Here are my reflections:
As I age, intellectual pleasure has become one of the few consistent and deeply satisfying joys in my life. For me, the dopamine rush of engaging in lively debates and the sense of validation that comes with articulating a compelling argument are invigorating. Far from being undignified, this form of pleasure can be ethical and constructive, provided the debate is conducted respectfully and in the spirit of seeking truth rather than as a means of personal attack.
