The false self
believes that it needs to acquire external things (possessions, accomplishment,
admiration, thrills), so it derives its identity from a constant sense of lack,
which produces desire and results in seeking. It thus needs a sense of discontent for its very existence. If it were to be completely satisfied, it
would cease to exist. Discontent is its
fight for life.
The vast majority
of our time and effort is spent pursuing everything from money to sex to
approval to victory. On those infrequent
occasions when we get what we were after – cash, an orgasm, applause, winning a
game – our sense of lack disappears. For
a few moments we are contented. There is
no desire and we are not pursuing anything. We experience joy and peace because the ego deflates and the true self
is not obscured by discontent, lack, or desire.
Eventually the
thought process of ego returns. It is,
by definition, discontent, so it once again foments feelings of lack and
desire. Whatever we were contented with
just minutes before no longer satisfies because the true self is once again
clouded over by ego. We then seek the
next possession, the next relationship, the next problem to solve, the next pleasure.
