Very well put sir.

Amen, but 'successful' people (however defined) should heed this as much as anyone else. Humility is not just a cheap substitute for people who "aren't Traditionally Successful enough to get away with being egoists" -- I know this is not what you meant, of course :p

i've seen so many people 'successful' people psych themselves out, afraid of failure to the point that they end up tripping, wasting so much time thinking "is this job good enough for me? am I getting laid enough?" that they just stare at the mirror all day and write on blogs pretending to hate themselves. blargh. ego-death is good medicine for all.

Have you read anything from Ayn Rand? It seems one of her recurring themes is embracing the ego to create excellence, rather than celebrating the status quo (and usually mediocrity).

My first sentence was acknowledging ego as essential for achievers and successful people. But for those who had enough, enough is enough, and they should tread a different path that will lead them to happiness. I have never heard of Ayn Rand until today. As a practitioner of Buddhist teachings, I have nothing against my ego and the ego of others. All is as it should be. In Buddhist reality, ego is impermanent as the body. If our aim is to seek happiness, the Buddha taught that we should not be attached to all things in this world of impermanence. All pain is connected to the joy we derived from material and immaterial things. The sweeter it tastes today, the bitterer it is tomorrow. My goal is to achieve a mental state wherein I could enjoy the beautiful things of this world, my art and my work without having to clench my fist around them so tightly that I would break my body and spirit in some future time. These will certainly break because I would not be clenching or even holding to anything that had substance to begin with. RUPAM SUNYATA,SUNYATAIVA RUPAM; all form is void, void is all form. My goal is not to fight my ego. My goal is to know my ego which is only a small part of the totality that is my mind. When I know it, I can embrace it. I can absorb it. I can be at peace with it, and not let it overrule me. Rule yourself so that you will not only rule the world but your destiny.