Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo teaches that ego identification is the root of unhappiness. Pride, the need for approval, and constant comparison to others keep us stuck. Loosening that grip on a false self lets you accept who you are and stop worrying what others think.
Tenzin Palmo said the main cause for our unhappiness is that we identify so strongly with the ego. And by that is meant that we are so proud, right? That we want things to be in a certain way, we want people to perceive us in a certain way, we want the attention, we want the accolades. And so if we identify it a little bit less with this false sense of self, with this false sense of who we're supposed to be and actually just are who we are and are okay with that, then we will be happier and go through life in a much easier path than worrying about the ego at all times and what everybody else thinks of us and what we're doing and whether or not we're as successful as our neighbors, so on and so forth.
