Ego Is the Enemy
Letting Go of Ego, Choosing Growth
Hello,
Happy new month to you. How are you doing?
Whether you’ve been here since the very first newsletter or you just joined recently, thank you for being here. Your time and attention mean a lot in a world that constantly demands both.
Its a new month, I’ve been reflecting on some quiet, inner battles. Not the external ones we see and talk about, but the ones we don’t often name. One of the biggest enemies to our growth is not failure, criticism, or obstacles. It’s ego.
Not the kind that shouts and boasts, but the kind that quietly resists growth, hides behind pride, and blocks real connection. And that’s what I want to talk about today honestly, simply, and from the heart.
Let’s go!!!!!!
In a world where everyone wants to be seen, celebrated, and followed, there is something deeply countercultural and freeing about being humble. Many of us don’t realize it, but the loudest enemy we often face is not outside of us. It’s within. It’s that invisible weight we carry, that voice always whispering, “You’re more important than this.” That voice is called ego.
Ego is tricky. It doesn’t always shout or brag. Sometimes, it hides behind silence, pride, or perfectionism. It can make us hard to correct, slow to apologize, and quick to compare. Ego makes us feel like we’re above certain things—learning, failing, asking questions, or starting small. But that feeling of being “above” is exactly what keeps us stuck.
Ryan Holiday, in his powerful book Ego Is the Enemy, puts it plainly:
“Impressing people is utterly different from being truly impressive.”
Many times, we are not really trying to grow, we’re just trying to look good. We post achievements, speak in public, correct others quickly, but deep down, we haven’t dealt with the fear that ego feeds: the fear of not being enough. So we overcompensate. We perform. We protect an image that was never meant to carry the weight of our identity.
I’ve seen ego show up in my life at different stages. When I was just starting out, ego made me hide my ignorance instead of asking questions. When things started to work out, ego told me I was the reason it all worked, forgetting the many hands that helped. And when failure came knocking, ego told me to blame something or someone—anything but myself.
But I’m learning. I’m learning that confidence without humility is just ego in a suit. I’m learning that true growth requires us to get uncomfortable, admit gaps, and stay teachable.
Holiday reminds us again,
“Ego is the enemy of what you want. Of mastering a craft. Of real creative insight. Of working well with others. Of building loyalty and support. Of longevity. Of repeating and retaining your success.”
In other words, ego blocks the very things we claim to care about: success, connection, influence, and peace. It gives us the illusion of strength while quietly draining us of real power.
So how do we fight it?
Not by pretending we have no ego, but by becoming more aware of it.
By choosing purpose over praise.
By valuing process over performance.
And by asking often, “Is this coming from ego or from truth?”
You don’t lose anything by being humble. In fact, you gain everything. Peace, clarity, connection, strength. Letting go of ego is not becoming less, it’s making space for what truly matters to grow.
Ego is the enemy. But grace, growth, and humility will always be our allies.
Until next time,
Joe Adetarami From IntelligenceX
If this resonated with you, feel free to share and subscribe. I write to encourage thoughtful growth in noisy times.
This is wonderful
I wrote something very similar in my last post ✨