Book excerpt: • Self-Esteem Is the Enemy Within • Self-Esteem Is the Problem in Relationships • Self-Esteem Is the Problem in Performing • Self-Esteem Is the Problem in Spirituality • Recognize, Remove, & Replace Self-Esteem Collection of Tables • This book is a collection of tables that provide fast information regarding destructive self-esteem. • Self-esteem is the modern name for the ego; therefore, the tables are about self-esteem and the ego. • The ego and self-esteem are experienced as collections of competing self-constructions. Self-Constructions • Self-constructions are positive and negative mental objects, commonly known as positive and negative self-images and self-concepts. • These self-constructions are reified thoughts, also known as thought-things, and calcified, concretized, and crystalized thoughts. • Use our tables to cut through the jargon and get to the heart of how to recognize, remove, and replace the ego to stop it from destroying and interfering with your goals and life. Stop Being Self-Esteem • You don’t just have self-esteem because you identify yourself as it. • For example, if you are insulted or praised, you tend to collect self-esteem images of the insults and praise and think of them as yourself. • You might envision yourself as smart or stupid, beautiful or ugly, loved or hated. • However, you tend to think you are these mental objects (thought-things) instead of a being having them. Self-Esteem Drives • You often want others to see you as positive self-constructions and go out of your way to make that happen. • Likewise, you often don’t want others to see you as negative self-constructions and go out of your way to prevent that. • Again, it is not a matter of just having ideas about yourself; it is the problem of trying to live as ideas. • Wanting yourself and others to experience you as beautiful mental objects leads to the destruction of your authentic self and every form of emotional, mental, and physical violence. Self-Esteem Is Not You • These self-esteem (ego) representations of yourself are not yourself. • They interfere with your goals, performance, and relationships. • Putting human thought in charge cannot produce positive results because it has no abilities or powers. • Self-esteem (ego) is the enemy within because it is at the root of all human problems and misery. • Sometimes, you can claim to be positive things before or after a performance but not during because that always causes errors and failures. • Sometimes, you might use self-confidence to pray for good results and falsely credit self-confidence. • Looking inside, you will see that self-esteem (ego) is never responsible for anything other than interference and misdirection. • Self-esteem is silly nonsense that is, at best, empty words and, at worst, the center of your life as collections of dead things. Not All Tables Made Equal You will favor and respond to some tables more than others. Some tables have enough content to deserve a book; others only fill themselves. Focus on the ones that help you the most. Come back later and reread the book for deeper insights, more connections (neural links), and new relevant tables. The repetition of ideas in the tables will help you deepen your understanding by networking the ideas and applying them to new circumstances. The tables were originally published on our website at this link: https://kevinfitzmaurice.com/lists-and-links/quotations-topics/free-fast-facts/. We have Fast-Facts on many topics. The website link for this Fast-Facts series (self-esteem, ego) now points to this book. The original format has been changed. The original tables have been subject to being added to, edited, discontinued, improved, reformatted, renamed, revised, rewritten, and updated. And new and original tables have been added. Typically, the entry title in the table of contents comes from the title in the table; however, there are some exceptions because of space constraints or formatting considerations. Like in the original version, this version is organized alphabetically. This book will not be available as an audiobook because it consists of tables of information that are visually orientated, difficult to represent verbally, and impossible to read grammatically without change. Some spirituality and religion are included in some tables. However, they are optional for understanding or implementing the helpful insights, suggestions, and solutions provided. You can learn from any source you choose. Wisdom should be accepted wherever it is found. One should accept the truth from whatever source it proceeds. —Maimonides Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. —Philippians 4:8