Wes Nisker . . . writes that in quiet silence we may begin to pay less attention to, or even ignore, our individual personalities. We might even move beyond them, taking the personality — the most narcissistic feature of our ego — down from its usual pedestal.

. . . One suggestion is to regard your personality as a pet. It follows you around anyway, so give it a name and make friends with it. Keep it on a leash when you need to, and let it run free when you think this sort of freedom is appropriate. Train it as well as you can, and then accept its idiosyncrasies, but always remember that your pet is not you. Your pet has its own life and just happens to be in an intimate relationship with you, whomever you may be, hiding there behind your personality.

Wes Nisker, Stillness by Richard Mahler