Adriaan.Philosopher
Philosophy Odyssey
Published in
4 min readJun 24, 2024

Beyond the Ego: Embracing Einstein’s Vision of Universal Interconnectedness

Albert Einstein’s profound words on human consciousness and our place in the universe have inspired generations.

In this article, I explore the depths of his insight, unraveling its meaning and applying it to our daily lives. By understanding the concepts of ego and what I call the “ega,” we can begin to free ourselves from the prison of our limited perceptions and embrace a more compassionate, interconnected existence.

We are One with the Universe

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space.

He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Albert Einstein

This text, written by a genius, is profound and, if you think about this thought for a while, very truthful.

But, the real true beauty of this text lies in its deeper meaning, which may not be immediately apparent.

I will illuminate the depth of this well-known piece of text. — I hope I can find the right words to explain it more simply.

We are all part of something bigger than us: the universe. We are all interconnected in what we call the universe; a concept some equate with God.

Everything is one.

The universe has a limit in time and space. The limit of time is the present. The present is the only time that exists.

The really of 5 minutes ago is not real anymore. It does not exist. The reality of tomorrow, does not exist either. So, we are trapped in the present moment.

The limit of space is the limit of the universe. The universe is not infinite. There is a limit to what we can see, explore, and understand.

The limits of our universe are bound by the speed of light.

The speed of light is constant. We don’t know exactly when the first light appeared in our universe. But it is a fact that it must have been after the big bang. This first light is still traveling at its constant speed. The first light that started after the big bang is limiting our observable universe. It is impossible for us, humanity, to see beyond this first light!

We are trapped in our universe.

Every human thinks he or she is alone and unique. This is a delusion. We are all equal and the same. The soul of every human being is the same. The delusion is that we think we are our bodies. The moment you understand you are your soul and not your ego or body, then you become aware of the souls of other humans.

You start talking from one soul to another instead of talking from ego to ego.

The difference is that the soul is who you truly are, and the ego is your perception of yourself and how other people see you and have an image of you.

This is the delusion of the ego.

This delusion is what keeps us from loving all the humans we encounter in a day.

This delusion is what keeps us from loving everything that is alive.

Culture and tradition teach us to only love our family, our friends, and maybe our colleagues. But that is all. Is it a delusion that we should love every single human that we meet on our journey through life?

If we all did that at the same time, this planet would be like paradise!

Once you are free from your ego, you understand exactly what Einstein means with this thought. Freeing yourself from ego is a difficult task — almost impossible.

Why? Because all societies, traditions, and cultures are based on and designed for the ego. They reinforce our self-perception.

The best advice I can give is to realize that there are two aspects to your being. One is the real you — your deepest thoughts, your dreams, and your fears. And the second one is how others perceive you. Your ego. Your mask.

Once you realize this split, you are halfway there.

You always make decisions that please either your ego or your true self.

I call the real you the ega. It is exactly the opposite of the ego. This split is like the yin-yang. The ega is infinite and the same for every soul alive. It represents love, knowledge, and wisdom. The ega is eternal and infinite.

Once you start feeding the ega, it becomes bigger and bigger.

But it starts very small because you have to discover it. It is hidden in every human being.

After feeding the ega for a while, it widens your circle of compassion to all living creatures.

Every human is unique and special. But every human is also the same and perfect. Start feeding your ega and start feeling the reward of expanding it.

You will feel at peace with your surroundings, and you will feel more love towards yourself and every life form that encounters you.

Feeling love is contagious!

Thanks for reading! And if you feel it, share these thoughts with your friends.

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