Does it matter who you are?

I am sure you have all come across people who puff up their chests while demanding special treatment or point their noses skyward when hauled up for transgressions and pop the question: "Do you know who I am?”

What does this smack of? A bloated ego, false pride and plain arrogance.

This is in sharp contrast to evolved sages like Ramana Maharishi who urged one to go within and introspect on “Who am I?” The first verse of Adi Shankara’s Nirvana Shatakam, which reminds us that we are not separate from the self, when translated reads, "I am neither the mind nor the intellect, memory or ego. I am the limitless consciousness and pure self. I am Shiva the auspiciousness.”

It doesn’t matter beyond a point where you came from or what your lineage is. The moot question is what kind of a human being are you? What kind of qualities of head and heart do you possess? What kind of values do you espouse, what are the beliefs you hold dear and what are the principles you live by?

Are you civil, well mannered, compassionate, respectful, honest, just, incorruptible, grateful, humble and the type who makes a difference to the world you inhabit, completely subsuming your ego? Or do you go around pompously throwing your weight around, name-dropping and belittling those whom you interact with?

Praise, if any, should come from other people, not with you blowing your own trumpet. Even so one should be wary of those who shower praise or indulge in flattery with an ulterior motive.

Ego is a pitfall we should avoid. As the Bhagavad Gita says: "He who is deluded by the ego thinks he is the doer." Nothing can be farther from the truth. Many things are beyond the ken and control of humans and those who realise and accept this and acknowledge the unseen hand of the Supreme are the wiser ones. Lord Krishna rightly cautions us to "Eschew acting with ego, greed, lust, envy and to instead act with love, compassion, humility and devotion.”

The Bible reminds us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Most people do not consider themselves proud or vulnerable to pride. Yet, this is one of the major categories of sin the Bible says is in each of our hearts.

When the going is good it is easy to get carried away in the belief that one is in control and calling the shots. When the tide turns, it might be just too late to make amends.