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New Earth, Chapter 3: The Book Report

Furthermore, that voice in the back of one's head is the true self, and it is critical for each individual to understand that voice and listen to that voice. So much of chapter three focuses on the negative impact of the ego on humanity that it can be very difficult to focus on any of the positive aspects of the human condition. However, Tolle eventually stresses the importance of moving beyond ego. He describes ego as being very limiting, so that, with the ego one is reduced to less than the total of a person. The "I," rather than being a descriptor of a whole human being, allows someone to reduce their identification to a set of statuses: gender, possessions, jobs, social roles, and other similar statuses that needlessly limit a person. He considers this type of ego-linked focus as way of preventing people from being able to accept the full abundance of their daily lives.

In fact, Tolle makes an interesting observation about happiness. The ego is about being happy, but it is very...

Happiness is inherently instable. Therefore, if one's goal is happiness, then one can never achieve and maintain that goal. However, that does not mean that Tolle suggests that humans should live in the misery created by ego. Like Jack Gilbert, Tolle believes that "We can do without pleasure, but not delight." Humankind must be capable of delight, or else the ego has been able to defeat the true self. If a person can move beyond time-bound consciousness, they not only defeat the illusive and hopeless search for constant happiness, but also destroy the ego. This opens up the individual to the ability to focus on the Now, and to appreciate the abundance that he already has in his life.
Works Cited

Gilbert, Jack. "A Brief for the Defense." The Poetry Center at Smith College. N.p. 2005. Web.

9 Oct. 2011.

Tolle, Eckart. "The Core of Ego." A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. New York: Penguin Group, 2005. 59-84. Print.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Gilbert, Jack. "A Brief for the Defense." The Poetry Center at Smith College. N.p. 2005. Web.

9 Oct. 2011.

Tolle, Eckart. "The Core of Ego." A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. New York: Penguin Group, 2005. 59-84. Print.
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