The ego and the spiritual war.
By “spiritual” I don’t mean religion. Spirituality and religion have some overlap but there are key differences as well.
A comment I left on another site.
This is a spiritual war as well. It's a war of information, a war of the ego. People who are not able to let go of their ego will perish, but learn a soul lesson in the process. That's my guess. When I learned more about the spiritual war, it all made much more sense.
This is also a test, a test to see who has common sense, basic research skills, a basic open mind, wisdom, and discernment. Those who fail... the future is very grim for them and their soul. They have to retake the class, but the people who pass get to "go on" to something better. But it's all for the greater good.
You see, a person who constantly fails can still be a role model, for those who have not yet tried. Some people CAN learn by observation.
Some additions
A person with a big ego is like a small child who cannot admit they were wrong, even to themselves. The ego becomes self-protective, but to a dysfunctional degree. A child is expected to be self-centered, and egotistic, but an adult is supposed to grow out of those things. A functional adult is able to admit they are wrong, in public. That is a key test for a functional adult.
Other indications of immaturity.
Inability to manage money. While money cannot buy true happiness, we still need it here. Manage your money, don’t let it manage you. This is often tied in to impulse control.
The inability to plan and save for the future. This is often called an “executive function” in the area of neuro-medicine.
The inability to see the consequences of your actions, another “executive function” of the brain.
Inability to research and make rational decisions. Emotions have their place, but not when making big decisions.
An intolerance or hatred to others being different. This might, in some cases, be an ego issue. They feel threatened by someone who is different, and thus get defensive.
Prejudice. A “pre-judging” of a person because they are a member of another group. This pre-judging could be based on skin color, their political or religious beliefs, what they wear, how much makeup they put on, or how much money they appear to have. Instead, try to get to know each person as an individual.
A drive to control everything, or micromanage. This is usually a sign of an insecure person. For example, your girlfriend asks you “Where were you? Who was there? What did she say?” and not just once in a while, but daily.
Advanced maturity
These things are more difficult to achieve but IMO lead to more and deeper happiness and calm.
Don’t let little thing make you mad. This is easier said than done and takes a often lifetime of practice.
Love others even if they are different. I see that conservatives achieve this much more often than leftists.
Let others have their own path, and make mistakes, that’s the only way some people learn. It’s a learning opportunity for them. Let them have their learning opportunity regardless of how uncomfortable you feel.
Manage your emotions, don’t let your emotions manage you.
Don’t feed the negative. This is much more common with people under age 40, they feed their anxieties with their stinking thinking, and then wonder why they never go away.
Have wisdom. This takes practice and requires one make more mistakes. This is one reason why mistakes are so important! A parent who doesn’t let their child make age appropriate mistakes often ends up with an adult child.
All of these are important for a parent to teach their child.
I look forward to hearing your additions in the comments. Don’t be shy! :)