EGO BOOSTER AND EGO BUSTER

Ego Booster and Ego Buster

Ego Booster and Ego Buster

One of the keys to building or tearing down ego is respect. The communication of respect or the failure to communicate respect can greatly affect self esteem. Oftentimes it can take a lifetime of investment to communicate love, respect, and admiration. Self doubt and poor self-esteem can often erode the efforts of a friend or mentor to encourage and support. Oftentimes, though, building and destroying self-esteem can take place in a very short time. The ego buster and the ego booster in my life are one in the same person. Even more, the busting and boosting took place in the same conversation.

I had a close relationship with a teacher in high school. Throughout my years there, this teacher encouraged me to work hard academically. He listened to my opinions and encouraged me to pursue my ideas. One day, the teacher was trying to decide, with the class, whether to give a take home exam or to give an in class exam. I remember the exact words he spoke. He called on me and said, “What do you think? I value your opinion.” I felt a rush of pride and joy at the recognition. I felt as if I mattered, as if I had something important to contribute. Just by asking a question and being genuinely interested in my opinion, the teacher communicated my intellectual value not only to me, but to the rest of the class as well.

I responded, “I like take-home exams.” In retrospect, I wish I had given the answer more though. The teacher had just said how valuable my opinion was in front of the entire class, and I could only must this brief phrase. In my defense, he did catch me off guard.

I remember his ...