The Tears of a Clown

The title for this book, which is all about the Ego and self-image, is taken from the 1963 Tamla Motown hit by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

If you're developing an Ego or self-image, as you're expected to do in order to be accepted as part of society, then it's inevitable that you're going to get hurt, be deceived, and come into conflict with other people. This is a given and is a fact of life.

In this book, which I've written as a kind of companion or guide intended to help anyone return to a natural state of mindfulness, we take an in depth look at the Ego and self-image, why we develop an Ego, and it's relationship to external authority and social interaction. None of us are given a choice as to whether we develop an Ego or not. But if you are developing an Ego, then surely it's helpful to become aware and familiar with the various illusions and false beliefs involved so that you can figure out what is real and what isn't.

Unless you can figure out such differences, you're not really going to be able to figure out what is real, and what isn't, and what is truth and what is merely your belief or opinion. Having such knowledge and insight surely is beneficial to understanding the Social Contract, the rules of the social games we play out on each other, and also understanding what motivates people to behave like they do and how they form relationships.