There are many ways the ego feeds itself. It's not always bombastic or aggressive or confident. Sometimes it's a "poor me" kind of strategy. But what underlines all the ways the ego feeds itself, is the need to compare itself to other manifestations of ego.
AWAKENING IS NOT A SELF-IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Awakening is not a self-improvement project. Although there are many who think it is.
Somehow, in today’s world of immediate access to teachings from all sorts of traditions, in today’s world of soundbites and spiritual quotes, awakening has become confused with the favorite project of the ego: becoming a better “me”.