Bringing Your Ego Down to Earth

There have been a few blogposts about ego and needing the Age of the Heart skill of perspective and indirectly, humility. There are a lot of examples of the need for humility and checking one’s ego at the door, but this example from the 1880’s makes a lot of sense today. 

Joseph Pulitzer, of the Pulitzer Prize, was the publisher of the New York World newspaper.  This anecdote comes from the Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes and Pulitzer felt that the “world” might be a bit too small for his designs and ego. So he wanted to create a billboard advertising the World so big that it could be seen on Mars. Apparently, he was dissuaded only when one of his assistants asked, “What language shall we print it in?”

Sometimes it takes a pointed question like that to bring one down to earth. People often do fallin love with their own ideas. It’s easy to be blinded (a huge billboard!) or grandiose visions (Mars!) or doing something just because you can (I can act with impunity!) Taking the time to think, consider unintended consequences (and some other perspectives) and being a little humble can save a lot of time and energy on foolish projects.