Self-esteem versus egotism

Journalist-turned popular American writer Tom Wolfe felt disturbed at his nation's obsession with status. However, he has also not spared himself in this caustic observation. The author may have sought to conclude that this preoccupation finally leads to sheer futility. Any sensible person can realise the message carried in Wolfe's unsparing statement.
What may trouble one is this status-consciousness makes people in general develop false vanity. This, in the eyes of psychologists, is egotism. Cynics may be willing to raise the spectre of megalomania or hubris. By whatever term you would like to use to define this foible, excessive obsession with ego robs one of the inborn ability to tell good from bad. On being constantly provoked by this feeling of self-importance, one becomes paranoid.  
The ego problem found in people is not unique to any particular nation. Lots of societies in the present-day world could be singled out for being afflicted with this drawback. Bangladesh is also one of them.
Ever since humans' full evolution into a civilised species, they have learnt the art of asserting themselves in the community. In psychological terms, it came to be known as self-esteem or a sense of self-dignity. This is an innocent human trait driven by necessity.  In his early days of evolution, man couldn't think of being offensive. But in order to survive in a hostile situation, humans have had to be on the defensive. Eventually man dropped the defensive posture, as the human race felt the urgency to show its power. Humans thus discovered a perverse joy in the acts of aggression.
Defending oneself ought not to require him or her to show their hidden strength. The question of egotism crops up here. The aberrant ego not only catches hold of one's whole self. It makes a lot of people blind and deaf. As a nation, we are victim of this degenerating shift in our human nature. Maybe, as a nation we are hollow and devoid of the basic ethno-cultural virtues.  Or we ourselves have invited this psychological metamorphosis. It has prompted nouveaux riches or the political greenhorns finding themselves in sudden limelight to develop a bloated ego. Becoming privileged or better-positioned does not always entail genius or vocational excellence. More often than not, people in our society employ all forms of wickedness and stratagem at their command to climb up social ladders. Few of them have the genuine capability to reach a higher rung. In order to keep the focus thus managed alive, most of them do not hesitate to go to any length. This aberration prevails in every aspect of Bangladesh society; no matter if it is politics, statecraft, bureaucracy, trade & commerce, or academia. Even the supposedly stoic field of culture is not free of this pervasive egotism.
The whole episode has reasons to make one feel distressed, and even alarmed. As human nature warrants it, ordinary people often attach added importance to their personal, professional or social positions. This does not cause harm to others. But there are many who involve themselves in machinations or sow the poison-seeds of discord in society in order to climb higher. Upon gaining a lot of weight, they discover one day their ego has been inflated up to their expectation. And with that these people become wild. Some flaunt their lately-begotten politico-social or monetary power. Others vulgarly allude to their hidden strength. It is not a problem by itself. What worries many is this deviant conduct sometimes hurts the decent and selfless people around. These people bleed silently. Abruptly they discover their helplessness, since they have looked to these power-blind megalomaniacs as their compatriots!
Like many other wrong notions, we always liken self-esteem to the vice of egotism. All of us having the virtues of a complete and ideal human being keep growing on self-esteem. Those who lack self-esteem become drags on society. Egotism, stretched to extremes, makes a monster out of man.
shihabskr@ymail.com