The psychology of lying to survive, and weak ego formation. Herd mentality.

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### Question: #### Would you lie to survive? Lets say that you had a gun to your head, and you knew that you’d be able live, if you only said ‘yes’ (the lie) and that you’d most definitely die, if you told the truth (‘no’)... what would you do? #### Most people would lie for reasons of self-preservation. (there are exceptions to this, of course). The example above presents a stark choice. An easily identifiable one. Live, or die? ‘Yes’, or ‘no’.

#### What happens though, if it was your _self-identity_ that was under threat ?... and _not_ your actual physical existence? What if it was your _financial survival_? _‘Life and death’ can mean different things, to different people._ #### How so? ### Weak ego’s. My own observations of many people over the years, and seeing the lies that they tell - to ‘survive’ - leads me to conclude that the ‘survival lie’ is very much correlated to weak ego formation. ...And weak ego formation is _most definitely_ correlated to the _need to conform_, to identify with the group - group mentality (sheeple). #### What then, _is_ a ‘weak ego’- and why do people have them ? Ego _strength_ is having a positive interpretation of who you are and your own capabilities. _LOW ego strength_ - weak ego formation - means a negative interpretation of who you are and your capabilities ( unconsciously). Low ego means having a lack of confidence with own your personality, an insecurity about your own thinking process, and self-doubts in general about most things in life. _(POSTMODERNISM, ANYONE?)_... Suffering from low ego strength _can_ be addressed, but it requires INNER courage. Unfortunately, the courage to 'dig deep 'is one of the traits lacking in those with a weak ego.... A ‘catch 22’ situation. To understand how weak ego formation expresses itself in the world as an adult, understanding the formation of it in the child, is important. By understanding how it can 'keep you stuck' in a cycle as an adult (not growing up) means that you can start to address the issues that keep you in the childlike paradigm. Unless you first find the inner courage to set off on the journey of 'getting know yourself', ever getting to address the weak ego would never be truly possible.(imo). ##### So.....HOW is a weak ego formed? According to Freuds _psychoanalytic theory_, there are three distinct parts that make up the whole – the psyche. The _ID_ is the primitive, instinctual, part of the mind. It's the impulsive side. It's without morals or ethics. It's the ‘I am’, the ‘I want’, part of the mind. It will always try to avoid discomfort. _It never matures_ , nor is it concerned with logic or reason. The SUPER EGO operates as moral conscience. It absorbs the the values and morals of the external environment (mostly from the parental or carer’s influences). It develops early on - between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. The super ego creates an _ideal self_ which is an imaginary picture of the self - of how you ***_' should_ '*** be. _(‘should’ is a word that’s steeped in guilt and is often used as a projection of the inner self onto others)_. The super ego decides on how to treat other people, and how to behave in society, and any behavior which falls short of the created ‘ideal self’ may be punished by the superego - through the guilt mechanism. It can also _reward_ through by making us _feel_ proud (when we 'behave properly’ relative to social and cultural norms). It's very reliant on the external stimulus – of the peer groups approval - for the reward mechanisms to activate. #### The weak ego formation – in this case, if the super ego has too much influence over the other two parts of the psyche – then the person’s ‘ideal self’ becomes a tool of self-flagellation. It will ***forever*** set a too high a standard. It will be standard which can ***never*** be met. To actually ever meet the impossible standard that the super ego sets for itself would be to ***satisfy*** the super ego. This is a position that the super ego that can _never_ , ever, accept... Ergo - _Another_ ‘catch 22’. ***Whatever the person does, will represent a failure in some way***. No matter how successful ! The superego acts in an adversarial role almost, the role of opposing the ID’s selfish ‘I am’ perspective. In between the two internal, disparate sides, of the psyche - the EGO presides. It acts as _the negotiator_ between the SUPER EGO and the ID. It attempts to compromise between the desires of the “I want’ ID, and the “what is moral’ blueprint’ of the SUPEREGO. The ego is ‘the realist’.

_This is a simple explanation of the three parts of the mind that are formed in the early years of life that then go on and make up the whole_. ***The personality***. ‘Weak ego ‘ is a personality that's developed in such a way as as to create an imbalance between the different parts of the mind. This 'weak ego' expresses itself in many ways ... A weak ego can has a poor sense of ‘self’ - Of being an individual. A weak ego is always concerned with _the opinions, and approval, of others_ in respect to themselves (conformity mindset, herd mentality). A weak ego lacks self-confidence, but not openly expressed very often.

#### The point that's the most pertinent of weak ego development - in this post, is this: #### ....People with 'weak ego strength' tend to get scared, or feel anxious about - the small issues in life. If you think of the 'life or death - lie or truth', scenario that I posited in the opening lines of this post, and then think of the last paragraph... IMAGINE if your weak ego, fear ridden, highly anxious, self - interpreted _life and death_ survival, as 'acceptance into the group'... Would the weak ego lie to achieve this? Of course they would. This is not about being in the group. To the weak ego'd individual - whose whole sense of self identity relies on the external approval of others, telling a 'a lie' offers no moral boundary that needs to be considered. ##### ...To the 'weak ego individual', this really is - in very real terms , to them - _a matter of life and death_ ! ### SURVIVAL! This having to lie 'for survival purposes', is interpreted very differently than those with a properly developed or well-balanced ego formation. The healthy ego interprets survival as just that – life or death. A _literal_ interpretation. Due the clear distinctions that can be made within the well developed ego 'survival' means something very different. The weak ego see’s ‘survival’ in terms of being _accepted_ by the peer group. A weak ego _feels_ (as opposed to _thinking_ ) that group approval IS a life or death situation. Logical thought processes would soon dispel the 'group approval' as a prerequisite for _actual_ survival. Note: I’m not interested in helping those who're happy living within their own weak ego formation. (my own low empathy and narcissism expressing themselves). I care not - in that sense. My caring comes from my own experiences. ...Which was one of growing up in an environment of such 'weak ego formation' individuals. I know how toxic they be to others. I REALLY DO care about pointing these individuals out so that the more naive souls not sucked into that 'black hole mentality' of group consensus, self pity, blame, and negativity I REALLY DO care about showing these things to people who DO find themselves at aplace in their life who are ready to move forwards - with a courage found from within. 'Weak ego formation' individuals ***do not*** lend themselves well to being in 'positions of power’ or influence. _They will lie easily _if_ it helps their own self-image and group approval_. Psychologically, it really _is_ (for them) about a _survival of their own identity_. 'By any means necessary' takes on a very different perspective, once you understand the weak ego's mindset and perception of what _they think_ survival is. _(LEFTISM, ANYONE?)_ ##### THE weak ego's are the manipulators, the politicians, the _image conscious_.

To the independent mind , the independent thinker, the libertarian - they are - in very real terms - ‘the intellectual enemy’. _There is no connection to those with courage and those that are too scared to try and find it within themselves._ Conversely - The weak ego’d individual – those with a conformity mindset – will see the independent thinker as a threat... _'They'_ represent everything that the weak ego’ individual _is not_. Can it be addressed? Yes... but only if the ‘catch 22’s’ of the weak ego's are identified from within first. #### Unless the real work of 'getting to know yourself' is undertaken, then nothing will change. Ridding yourself of 'The catch 22' conundrum starts from within... In part 2.... Some tangible signs to help identify if you’re dealing with weak ego’d individuals. ...And _if_ you've found the inner courage to be an independent, sovereign individual, and you want some help... ... I'm here ! ...(a sheep no more).
Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-122315/@lucylin/the-psychology-of-lying-to-survive-and-weak-ego-formation-herd-mentality