Asmita

Egoism is the identification of the seer with the instrumental power of seeing. — Yoga Sutras

Patanjal goes on to point out the second affliction, asmita. The definition of asmita is egoism, or sometimes pride. In purely spiritual terms, asmita is the direct result of avidya. Having lost track of who we are, we make up a definition that seems to make sense. Asmita is the mistaken belief that our abilities are who we are, and not a reflection of who we are. It is as though a lightbulb, having forgotten about electricity, believes that it is light. In a more worldly sense, asmita manifests as the madness of pride, and the despair that comes from a belief in an isolated self.

Those of us in the United States live upon a segment of the earth whose resources provide us with enormous material power. The belief that this power is somehow our fault, rather than a blessing and a responsibility, is the madness of asmita. Conversely, the belief that our material wealth must be safeguarded from those who share the planet with us arises from the fear that derives from the isolated self. The isolated self, the rugged individual, lives in imagined exile from love and safety. Asmita, then, is a coin with two sides. On one side is the sense that we are above everyone; on the other is the fear that we are beneath everyone. Out of disconnection from self comes disconnection from others. — Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat