By knowing what we are not we can free ourselves from it and realise what we really are
The two main diseases of human mind is desire and pride which is also the desire to be superior or special.
Desire for pleasure, power, superiority, fame, money, possessions are the main branches of desire.
Desire and egoism are one. The Desire-energy assumes the form of 'Iness' or egoism (the sense 'I am the body', a separate body-mind entity).
Like-dislike, attraction-repulsion, irritability, anger, anxiety, fear, impatience, exhilaration-depression, frustration, greed, attachment, jealousy are the primary modifications of desire.
An underline discontentment, uneasiness, incompleteness, not enough and boredom are the almost ever present emotional moods in us created by the desire-energy.
I am better, I can do it better, I am special, criticism, complaining, comparing, imaginary planning and scheming, calculating, dominating, controlling, the external circumstances prevent me to be happy and complete, it is better elsewhere but not here, are the ways that egoism thinks and acts.
The others are friends or enemies depending on their position or attitude towards us. If they contribute to fulfil our desires and enhance our illusory self-image we love them and if not we are angry with them or we hate them.
Ego wants to control everything in order to feel secure and safe and secure the fulfilment of desires.
Ego is reactive and repetitive. Reacts always with the same emotional and mental patterns like a computer.
Incoherence, inresponsibility, hypocrisy, justifications are characteristics of ego behaviour.
We have to observe ourselves from moment to moment even during the most ordinary moments of our every day life (like for example the time we wash our teeth) in order to discover all these egoic tendencies. We cannot free ourselves from something we ignore.
Observation and discovery are first steps. Disidentification and comprehension are the next. Dissolution is the last.
Once we are aware of a mental or emotional pattern we must disidentify from it, we must by conscious attention, discrimination and reflexion realize that we are not these mental emotional forms, that they prevent us live in peace, happiness and unity with the Divine and our fellows. And finally we must dissolve them with the power of divine mother by prayer and the repetition of name of God.
Self-awareness, self-observation, discovery, disidentification, discrimination, dispassion, prayer, Japa nama, reflection, comprehension, concentration and meditation are the means that enable us free ourselves from ego and realize God consciousness.