--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A big ego means that you have some…" description: "\"A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're prepared to take the risk of trying them out.\" — Brian Eno" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg" --- # A big ego means that you have some confidence in your… ![“A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're prepared to take the risk of trying them out.” quote by Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg) > “A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're prepared to take the risk of trying them out.” [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Confidence can be healthy, but an inflated ego may blind you to limits and risks. **In simple terms:** Confidence vs ego balance. Key Takeaway Check ego before risk. Themes confidence ego risk self-awareness Mood reflective cautious Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - creative projects - leadership - personal growth Key Concepts psychology self-perception Questions to Reflect On - Is your confidence realistic? - How do you temper ego? A Different Perspective Ego can cause overconfidence and failure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abilities Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abilities-really-2277648/) [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Confidence Abilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence-abilities-847920/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Ego Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego-means-881461/) [Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means/) [Means Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-confidence-1371993/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Prepared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prepared/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [A big ego isn't necessarily a bad thing. A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-big-ego-isn-t-necessarily-a-bad-thing-a-big-ego-means-that-you-have/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [We operate by faith, which means that we have confidence in what God says, whether we fully understand it or not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/we-operate-by-faith-which-means-that-we-have-confidence-in-what-god/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Being a child of God means confidence, but it never means complacency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/being-a-child-of-god-means-confidence-but-it-never-means-complacency/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [To have ego means to believe in your own strength. And to also be open to other people's views. It is to be open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/to-have-ego-means-to-believe-in-your-own-strength-and-to-also-be-open/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [“When you surrender you become a valley; when you are an ego you are like a peak. Ego means you are above everyone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/when-you-surrender-you-become-a-valley-when-you-are-an-ego-you-are/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [“Ego means to live in an imaginary form (illusionary form) outside of one’s own real Self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/ego-means-to-live-in-an-imaginary-form-illusionary-form-outside-of/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Pure Ego (shuddha ahankar) and Pure Soul (shuddha chetan), they are both the same. Pure ego means that there is no anger-pride-deceit-greed in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/pure-ego-shuddha-ahankar-and-pure-soul-shuddha-chetan-they-are-both/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Ego means self-identification with thinking, to be trapped in thought, which means to have a mental image of "me" based on thought and emotions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/ego-means-self-identification-with-thinking-to-be-trapped-in-thought/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Your twitter ego means nothing when you click that log off button.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/your-twitter-ego-means-nothing-when-you-click-that-log-off-button/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I have ultimate confidence in myself and my abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamal-murray/i-have-ultimate-confidence-in-myself-and-my-abilities/) [Jamal Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamal-murray/) > [It is strange, but directors have always shown more confidence in my abilities than I've in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waheeda-rehman/it-is-strange-but-directors-have-always-shown-more-confidence-in-my/) [Waheeda Rehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waheeda-rehman/) > [You have confidence in the abilities of the team that you put around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cameron/you-have-confidence-in-the-abilities-of-the-team-that-you-put-around/) [Daniel Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cameron/) > [Che Guevara taught us we could dare to have confidence in ourselves, confidence in our abilities. He instilled in us the conviction that struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/che-guevara-taught-us-we-could-dare-to-have-confidence-in-ourselves/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [One thing I have is that I have never been afraid to expose myself in a way, and I really think I got that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-turturro/one-thing-i-have-is-that-i-have-never-been-afraid-to-expose-myself-in/) [John Turturro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-turturro/) > [If you don't have confidence in your own abilities, then you have no abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-don-t-have-confidence-in-your-own-abilities-then-you-have-no/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) ## More by Brian Eno > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The lyrics are constructed as empirically as the music. I don't set out to say anything very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-lyrics-are-constructed-as-empirically-as-the-music-i-don-t-set/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Admirers can be a tremendous force for conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/admirers-can-be-a-tremendous-force-for-conservatism/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The whole history of pop music had rested on the first person singular, with occasional intrusions of the second person singular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-whole-history-of-pop-music-had-rested-on-the-first-person/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [You can't really imagine music without technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/you-can-t-really-imagine-music-without-technology/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Robert Fripp and I will be recording another LP very soon. It should be even more monotonous than the first one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/robert-fripp-and-i-will-be-recording-another-lp-very-soon-it-should/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I despise computers in many ways. I think they’re hopelessly underevolved and overrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-despise-computers-in-many-ways-i-think-they-re-hopelessly/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think very often producers are really trying to repeat things. When they hear something in the new songs that they recognize as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-very-often-producers-are-really-trying-to-repeat-things-when/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think that's very significant that we're so attached to the idea now of - it was something I advocated for years, that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-think-that-s-very-significant-that-we-re-so-attached-to-the-idea/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [If you watch any good player, they're using different parts of their body and working with instruments that respond to those movements. They're moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/if-you-watch-any-good-player-they-re-using-different-parts-of-their/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Songs that don't depend on composition depend instead on performance - so the fire has to be there in the playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/songs-that-don-t-depend-on-composition-depend-instead-on-performance/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I can see the use and value of religion, just as I can see the use of mud wrestling, yoga, astronomy and sadomasochism. but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-can-see-the-use-and-value-of-religion-just-as-i-can-see-the-use-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I wanted to get rid of the element that had been considered essential in pop music: the voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-wanted-to-get-rid-of-the-element-that-had-been-considered-essential/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [At the beginning of the 20th century, the ambition of the great painters was to make paintings that were like music, which was then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/at-the-beginning-of-the-20th-century-the-ambition-of-the-great/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I had an interesting day. I was in the studio with a group of musicians, who shall remain nameless, and I said to them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-had-an-interesting-day-i-was-in-the-studio-with-a-group-of/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) [Explore all 373 Brian Eno quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're prepared to take the risk of trying them out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brian Eno" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confidence-in-your-abilities/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confidence-in-your-abilities/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba3/brian-eno-776_ability_a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confi_223482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A big ego means that you have some confidence in your abilities, really, and that you're prepared to take…” — Brian Eno", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brian Eno", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A big ego means that you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confidence-in-your-abilities/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/a-big-ego-means-that-you-have-some-confidence-in-your-abilities/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```