The ego is nourished and strengthened when we identify with it
The egoic tendencies are nourished and strengthened every time they manifest in us and we identify with them; every time we perceive them as ourselves and behave as if we were them.
Because of our identification with the ego and its expressions (egoic tendencies, desires, lower emotions and impulses such as lust, anger, liking, aversion, fear, jealousy, guilt, greed, etc.) we take the ego as ourselves and its expressions as our expressions.
Liking and disliking, for example, which are expressions of our ego, due to identification, become ‘I like’ or ‘I don't like’. Similarly, identifying with anger we feel and believe that ‘I am angry’, with shame that ‘I am ashamed’, identifying with the ego's desire and passion for sexual pleasure we feel ‘I want to get sexual pleasure’ and so on.
When we identify with anger, we feel it as ourselves and behave under its influence. As a result, anger becomes stronger and will manifest itself in the future more easily, more often and more intensely.
The same applies to any other egoic tendencies (liking, disliking, antipathy, fear, aversion, impatience, lust, gluttony, jealousy, pride, etc.) with which we identify and which we mistakenly perceive as ourselves. Every time we identify with an egoic tendency that manifests in us, it is reinforced and we become more enslaved to it.
And vice versa, when we do not identify with the egoic tendencies, then they are weakened to some extent and we gain more control over them. If, in addition to this, we pray or repeat the name of God or apply any other method that eliminates the ego, then the egoic tendency is further weakened.
The hypnotic frequency of the tamas and rajas gunas and the identifications, projections and imaginations that the ego creates, keep us in a state of hypnosis and unconsciousness. Because of this we live identified with the ego and its tendencies[1], with the body and the mind and perceive the ego and the body as ourselves. As a result, the ego is fed and empowered and continues to dominate us.
Egoic tendencies along with the rajas and tamas qualities cloud the intellect and obscure clear perception and discrimination. Hence, we cannot realise that we are not the ego but the light of Consciousness which is ever-present, peaceful and blissful.
[1] we live identified with the
ego and its tendencies: worldly people are fully identified with the
ego and the egoic tendencies. They are a little or not at all aware of
ego's ways, plans and intentions. Even those who are involved in Self-knowledge
and spiritual practices are also identified with the ego. In their case, their
identification with the expressions of ego (anger, fear, greed, gluttony, lust,
etc.) depends on their progress and the level of consciousness they have
reached so far. Only after awakening, one realises that is not the ego and the
egoic tendencies but the silent presence of Consciousness. However, even an
awakened can be deceived by egoic tendencies and programming. It depends on the
purity of his mind, the work that he has done with the dissolution of the ego,
and the development of abilities such as mindful self-observation,
Self-awareness, clarity, discernment and dispassion, steadiness and
one-pointedness of mind.