Fake Culture of the Ego

Posted on November 7, 2007
Filed Under Fake Culture, Society |

What is Fake Culture? Fake Culture is a product of the ego; it is society and it’s illusory view on reality. What then some may ask - is the ego? The ego is a product of society. This is the paradox - the ever continuing circle - the illusion in which we live. When a child is born it has no sense of self - what it sees of the world is outwards rather than inwards. By virtue of the child’s senses she discovers a real solid world out there. However these senses do not inform the child about his own existence. That sense of self comes later, over a period of time. Initially it is formed by feedback from the parents; the mother who is caring, loving or angry - these things slowly build as an image of “self”. The child who is loved feels special and warm, the child who is neglected feels worthless and lacks confidence.

This image is the ‘ego’, it isn’t the child’s true self - but instead the image of self that other people have projected onto her. As the child grows society takes on the role of shaping the child’s ego, through the media, education and later jobs and employment. These things all accumulate towards instilling a false sense of self within the individual.

It is the function of society to attempt to mold the individual into a productive member of that society. In order for that to work the individual has to have a certain perspective on the world. For example in western culture it is considered of paramount importance to have a career, for this reason a person often very strongly associates their career with their sense of self; “I am a doctor.”, “I am an accountant.”, “I am a writer.” These things are all titles, they are descriptions of what a person does in society. Job titles are labels for the ego. In other cultures, women are considered to be merely the ‘child-barer’, that then becomes their sense of identity - their ego.

At some point early in our lives, we also contribute towards shaping our ego - because we believe this false sense of self is who we truly are. On a deep level we know the true nature of the ego, we know it to be illusory…and the only way to make it seem real is through gaining attention. I have noticed this especially so recently as I watch my daughter grow - she is always seeking attention, because without attention she gets no reaction…and without getting reaction she has no sense of identity. It’s a basic principle, but entirely obvious once you notice it. And don’t you think it gives an entirely different perspective on those people who constantly seek fame?

We all have an ego - it’s easy to see it in other people, but many will deny its existence within themselves. Because when you shine a light on it, it becomes glaringly apparent that it is merely an illusion. That discovery can leave us with feeling a deep sense of emptiness - for the most part we will do anything to avoid that feeling. So we continue to play the games of the ego, feeding it an identity of importance and self-worth.

For the most part, our culture doesn’t like talking about this basic fact, after all who wants to openly discuss their dysfunctions. And so the illusory world of the ego gets projected onto reality. We interpret everything around us in terms of what those things mean to our ego, and because of this basic tenant we fail to see the true nature of reality. We see only what we want to see - only what it means to us - and when that us becomes a collective us, that is when fake culture comes into being.

Fake culture is a product of the ego, just as the ego is a product of fake culture. It is everything we do and create within the world as a reaction to enforcing the illusion of the collective ego of society. The false beliefs, the desire for power, politics, the media control, the hidden truths of the ages, the slow erosion of mysticism. Fake culture is what drives our societies need for materialism, because in materialistics and possessions we see something real and solid to which we can attach our ego.

Our task isn’t to change or destroy any of that though - because that would simply be the reaction of the ego. What we can do is simply observe it, because through the act of seeing comes awareness and then understanding. And from there we have an entirely new foundation upon which to build our lives.