Joseph Campbell talked about the difference
between the Ego and the Tao
in terms of finding our way through our life.
He said the Ego is the critical function,
and the Tao is the intuitive function.
The Ego assesses a situation in terms
of pros and cons,
likes and don't likes,
and figuring the odds,
deciding what our chances are,
running a cost/benefit analysis
in figuring what to do
to achieve the maximum return on our investment.
The Tao, on the other hand,
would assess a situation in terms
of what is happening and what is being called for,
and it would wait ("wu-wei"--doing nothing
until the time is right)
for the right time to act
in accordance with the opportunities
and needs of the moment.
And when the door opens, walk through.
Completely different ways of deciding what to do.
The analytical and the intuitive/instinctive.
Ego and Tao.
And our place is to know when to do which.
These ways of finding our way
are not mutually exclusive.
There are times when Tao has to stand aside
in favor of Ego's methodology,
and times when Ego has to give allegiance
to Tao's feeling/knowing/sensing way
of determining when/what/where/how.
And we stand between the two poles
and choose which one to favor
in the particular circumstances
of each situation as it arises,
and live there accordingly.
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Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy 