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Another aspect of the emotional pain that is an intrinsic part of the egoic mind is a deep-seated sense of lack or incompleteness—of not being whole. In some people this is conscious; in others, unconscious. If it is conscious, it manifests as the unsettling and constant feeling of not being worthy or good enough. If it is unconscious, it will only be felt indirectly as an intense craving, wanting, and needing. In either case, people will often enter into a compulsive pursuit of ego gratification and things to identify with in order to fill this hole they feel within. So they strive after possessions, money, success, power, recognition, or a special relationship, basically so they can feel better about themselves—feel more complete. But even when they obtain all these things, they soon find that the hole is still there, that it is bottomless.
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Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, The Art of Happiness 10th Anniversary Edition, You Are a Badass, Life Leverage 4 Books Collection Set)