Musings on the concept
The English language has done a great disservice to the word “ego.”
When someone is overly self confident or narcissistic, we might say “[so and so] has a big ego.”
Indeed, this is the use of the word that most people are familiar with.
But, that’s really just one side of the concept. The reality is that “ego” is our sense of self, or sense of otherness, good or bad.
Someone with a big ego is just as likely to have a negative sense of self as they are to have an inflated sense of self.
Having a big ego is the opposite of feeling unity with humankind and the planet, not the opposite of humility.
Associating with one’s ego is to view oneself as an endpoint. Someone things happen to, or for.
Dissociating from one’s ego is to view oneself as a thoroughfare, a node in a larger system through which the universe works.
So, if you find yourself thinking too highly or too low of yourself, tune into some Ram Dass or Alan Watts this year and start chipping away at that ego.
And remember, we are all one.
James Hamilton is an entrepreneur and technologist focused on building businesses and brands that thrive and endure. He is the co-founder of oakpool, a founder and employee-owned digital marketing firm that builds teams, systems, and software to help brands achieve sustainable growth. oakpool works globally, with team members and clients across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Past and present clients include GORE-TEX, Goslings Rum, Caesars Entertainment, and Zum.
At oakpool, James leads new product and service development, including oakpool.ai, which focuses on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO or AI Search Optimization) — helping brands become legible, referenced, and surfaced inside modern AI search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude.
Along with his work at oakpool, James has spent nearly a decade in early-stage venture capital and company formation, working as an investor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at firms in Boston, London, and the Bay Area. He earned his MBA at Imperial College London and his BA at the College of Charleston.
James comes from a family of artists, curators, gallerists, and writers, and approaches entrepreneurship as a creative act. Beyond his work, James is passionate about travel, skiing, fly fishing, the arts, and our planet.
