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Sam Cooke sang it best in “Chain Gang”

The world has always been confusing place. It feels as if all morals have been thrown to the wayside. To most, guidance is murky and those seeking guidance usually are unaware of the guiders agenda. Those seeking guidance may be a little murky themselves.

Chain Gang

While the digital age enables one to find information quickly, one doesn’t necessarily find the answers.  The Digital Age, Specifically the Era of Social Networking, is potentially a dangerous environment. It has the potential to be a breeding ground for manipulation.  This is where most are vulnerable and will most likely permit a legislative body to dictate.

Let us remember the 13-year old girl harassed online until she killed herself.

If this interests you check out a presentation by the University of Albama Forensics Lab titled, “Safe Social Networking: (the danger of being friendly)”

Ego has been a driving factor in all of our lives.  Arrogance, I feel is what happens when the ego doesn’t get what it wants.

Arrogance and Ego could be magic potion to dissolve your morality, your principles, and the ability to recognize and enforce them. When the potion sets in your blood, it could give one no other choice but to join the chain gang. Not  a literal Chain Gang, – the condition of having no other choice but to give up on dreams and to be forced to sell out themselves to the rat-race only when it gets tough.

A Wise Man Once Said:

“It is our anger that gets us into a fight and our ego that keeps it there.”

Now, there is nothing wrong with Self-Confidence. Knowing what oneself is capable is a valuable asset to oneself. The difference between ‘oozing-self-confidence’ and confident in ones own abilities IS Ego! Perhaps if one is constantly gloating about what one could do, there could actually be deficiency and insecurity about the ‘skill’ one is gloating about. THAT is ego. The brain is a muscle. After exercising that muscle for a period of time in such a fashion, the brain is going to ooze arrogance. Arrogance marching on in, supplementing what the ego could not address – the deficiency! Ego was afraid so it called up Arrogance. I feel that is how Ego and Arrogance dance together. Dance long enough they are going to get married. Divorce is long, expensive and painful.

“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford

Whereas Ego + Arrogance Dance together, When qualities of Self-Confidence and Humility are combined there could be a potential for a five-star leader. Humility is the act of admitting one does not have all the answers. Humble people learn from others. Humility keeps ones ego at bay.

The humbleness of a warrior is not the humbleness of the beggar. The warrior lowers his head to no one, but at the same time, he doesn’t permit anyone to lower his head to him. The beggar, on the other hand, falls to his knees at the drop of a hat and scrapes the floor to anyone he deems to be higher; but at the same time, he demands that someone lower than him scrape the floor for him.
—Carlos Castaneda

In the Philippines, the qualities of Humility, Patience and Tactful Servitude are highly admired. Humility is also giving credit when deserved and taking credit when right. It is very difficult to keep an Ego in check in America where everyone is in a constant pissing contest. Perhaps if 100 years ago,  America as a whole put the brakes on its Moral Decay, it could be an everlasting superpower. The title of superpower is not going to hold true in this new Dawn of the East.

To live is to be among men, and to be among men is to struggle, a not only with them but with oneself; with their passions, but also with one’s own. – Dr. Jose Rizal