Everyone has an ego- some more some less. A healthy ego can be a moving substance for personal achievements in all parts of life, so it’s not totally negative if you ask me. Actually I believe that a goal orientated healthy ego even made lots of things possible on this planet. Also it is the driving motor for some in regard competitiveness in sports, especially on professional levels.
Nothing is wrong with ego as long it is well channeled. It’s human nature and part of every Alpha, which ain’t bad either, if well dosed to really make a good leader. When looking around in your world, you might find lots of negative things based on ego driven decisions or actions- and maybe even a few positives. You might want to share them in comments below.
In my world- it’s the sport I’ve channeled my ego with. A highly competitive and actually violent environment like professional motorsports. I’m not saying that this is the way for everyone, but for me it was because I’ve had learn to control my ‘big as the Rockies’ ego. I had to because it protected me and sometimes others! Why?… that’s because an unleashed ego caused me to over shooting turns or even to crash and to get unreasonably hurt. That means I can’t do what I got paid for- to race. When an ego based, mostly bad decision leads to another f’up, then it just pushes you into anger and emotions.
If you are driven by these feelings, then you probably are what I call a ‘out of the belly’ racer. Out of my own experience dealing with myself and many professional racers I can say that you might look good here and there and that you might have fans on your side, but you probably never gonna win titles on a bigger scale. Channel and dose wisely, and you’ll get the ‘Quan’.
I have an extremely sensitive sensor for ego-driven riders/students because I’ve been there- I know. So their problem is my zero-tolerance for them, because I know they WONT to take anything, neither from me or someone else- but they came because they actually KNOW that they have skill issues and lack of knowledge. See the conflict?! But if they try, they would never admit that they’ve learned something and in the end I don’t get any credit because they ‘knew it all’ actually.
But there are others I’ve worked with and who had that kind of ego. Those who were willing to hold back and to listen. To forget arguments like ‘this is just a small track’ and ‘I’m to fast for you anyway’. They were biting on their lips and let me decide what to learn next based on what I’ve seen what they need. Guess what… wonderful things happened to them. They became safer, faster, and gentleman riders who stopped crashing at any occasion.
I still didn’t get the credit from them though. Hurts my ego :-) :-) :-)
Headcoach Can Akkaya, Superbike-Coach Corp
To be competitive at all in racing, you have to have some level of ego and emmotion…it’s finding that balance that’s key. It’s when you let one or both take over completely when bad things happen or you don’t allow yourself to see what you’re doing wrong that others are trying to tell and show you. Some of my BEST mx races as a kid we’re “helped” from my emotions. Think of these as “The Force” and without balance, the DARK SIDE will take over…”Listen to Coach, help you he can” :-)
:) It is easy to fall for the dark side.
As you know as a Moto Cross racer you’ve been yourself, it takes time to shake off these things. Important at that point is to turn also the bad experiences to positives which coming along with it. For example, to let that ego fly ones in a while because it also shows your hunger to win. Thanks for your input!