---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the great dangers of…"
description: "\"One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological work by leaping into the transcendent too soo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg"
---

#  One of the great dangers of transformational work is that…

![“One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological work by leaping into the transcendent too soon. This is because the ego always fancies itself much more 'advanced' than it actually is.” quote by Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg)

> “One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological work by leaping into the transcendent too soon. This is because the ego always fancies itself much more 'advanced' than it actually is.”

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The ego can rush into spiritual claims, avoiding necessary inner work.

**In simple terms:** Ego shortcuts spiritual growth.

Key Takeaway

Balance ego with genuine self‑exploration.

Themes

ego spirituality growth psychology

Mood

cautious introspective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- meditation retreats
- personal coaching

Key Concepts

transcendence self‑deception psychological integration

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize ego‑driven shortcuts?
- What practices foster deep inner work?

A Different Perspective

Over‑reliance on ego can cause superficial insight.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Dangers Transformational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangers-transformational-4701264/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Ego Attempts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego-attempts-4701265/) [Fancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fancy/) [Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological/) [Psychological Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological-work-2923943/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Transcendent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transcendent/) [Transformational Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transformational-work-4261684/) [Work Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-ego-921271/)

## Related quotes

> [“Violence is a primitive but still very widespread way in which the ego attempts to assert itself, to prove itself right and another wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/violence-is-a-primitive-but-still-very-widespread-way-in-which-the/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [I want to do transformational work to actually fix the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/i-want-to-do-transformational-work-to-actually-fix-the-world/)

[Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/)

> [The most important thing is to be proud of the work that you put into something, and put the ego aside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/the-most-important-thing-is-to-be-proud-of-the-work-that-you-put-into/)

[Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/)

> [I'm not a hopeless romantic. I'm quite the reverse. I'm a nasty piece of work, an ego maniac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-m-not-a-hopeless-romantic-i-m-quite-the-reverse-i-m-a-nasty-piece/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [I've done some analysis of the biblical stories as part of my psychological work. I knew that I had more to do, and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/i-ve-done-some-analysis-of-the-biblical-stories-as-part-of-my/)

[Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/)

> [On the whole, the psychological work of the last quarter of the nineteenth century emphasized the study of consciousness to the neglect of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-thorndike/on-the-whole-the-psychological-work-of-the-last-quarter-of-the/)

[Edward Thorndike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-thorndike/)

> [Enough, if something from our hands have power To live, and act, and serve the future hour; And if, as toward the silent tomb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/enough-if-something-from-our-hands-have-power-to-live-and-act-and/)

[William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/)

> [An encounter with god or with the transcendent, per se, can only occur when we experience the violent side of god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-encounter-with-god-or-with-the-transcendent-per-se-can-only-occur/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [People who reject transcendent authority can no longer persuade one another through rational arguments; everything is reduced to personal opinion. Debates about ideas thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-colson/people-who-reject-transcendent-authority-can-no-longer-persuade-one/)

[Charles Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-colson/)

> [The thing we long for, that we are For one transcendent moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-thing-we-long-for-that-we-are-for-one-transcendent-moment/)

[James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/)

> [Marx did not recognize that our desire to connect with a transcendent power runs even deeper than our drive for economic satisfaction. Each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-klein/marx-did-not-recognize-that-our-desire-to-connect-with-a-transcendent/)

[Jeffrey Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-klein/)

> [I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-cannot-escape-from-the-conclusion-that-the-great-ages-of-progress/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Plato, the first true pope of philosophy (sorry, Socrates), argued for a World of Forms above the reality-a transcendent plane of perfect essences, pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/plato-the-first-true-pope-of-philosophy-sorry-socrates-argued-for-a/)

[N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/)

> [In the particular dwells the tawdry. In the conceptual dwells the grand, the transcendent, the everlasting. Earthly countries and single malignant boys can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/in-the-particular-dwells-the-tawdry-in-the-conceptual-dwells-the/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [“The Transcendent was my morning meal, we had the Eternal at lunch, and I ate a slice of the Infinite at dinner.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/the-transcendent-was-my-morning-meal-we-had-the-eternal-at-lunch-and/)

[Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/)

## More by Don Richard Riso

> [“Generally speaking, 99 percent of the time life is benign and supportive. The ego leads us to fixate on the 1 percent when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/generally-speaking-99-percent-of-the-time-life-is-benign-and/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [In fact, life is our greatest teacher. Whatever we are doing can be instructive, whether we are at the office, or talking to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/in-fact-life-is-our-greatest-teacher-whatever-we-are-doing-can-be/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“Reconnecting means opening up to whatever part of our experience we were not previously allowing in . . . If our problem has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/reconnecting-means-opening-up-to-whatever-part-of-our-experience-we/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“Self-acceptance is a way of viewing oneself compassionately, without condemnation or justification. It is a starting point in life which makes other things possible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/self-acceptance-is-a-way-of-viewing-oneself-compassionately-without/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [If we observe ourselves truthfully and non-judgmentally, seeing the mechanisms of our personality in action, we can wake up, and our lives can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/if-we-observe-ourselves-truthfully-and-non-judgmentally-seeing-the/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“One of the most important elements of spiritual progress is a willingness and ability to let go of the past, and this inevitably means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-most-important-elements-of-spiritual-progress-is-a/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“One of the ego's main defenses against doing so (experiencing our Essence)is the belief that spirituality is something rarefied, impractical, and very far away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-ego-s-main-defenses-against-doing-so-experiencing-our/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“As I turned my head and looked out the window, I saw that everything around me was glowing from within. The sunlight on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/as-i-turned-my-head-and-looked-out-the-window-i-saw-that-everything/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“The process of transforming the heart can be difficult because as we open it, we inevitably encounter our own pain and become more aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/the-process-of-transforming-the-heart-can-be-difficult-because-as-we/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“The body is extremely important for Inner Work, because it is a reliable reality check in ways that our minds and emotions (the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/the-body-is-extremely-important-for-inner-work-because-it-is-a/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [ “\[T\]he Enneagram is, at its most abstract, a universal mandala of the self—a symbol of each of us.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/t-he-enneagram-is-at-its-most-abstract-a-universal-mandala-of-the/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“The testimony of the greatest humans who have ever lived is that the way to make the most of ourselves is by transcending ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/the-testimony-of-the-greatest-humans-who-have-ever-lived-is-that-the/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“The superego is the inner voice that is always putting us down for not living up to certain standards or rewarding our ego when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/the-superego-is-the-inner-voice-that-is-always-putting-us-down-for/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“One of the main tools for entering into the vivid immediacy of quiet mind is "not knowing." Ordinarily, our minds are filled with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-main-tools-for-entering-into-the-vivid-immediacy-of-quiet/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

> [“Every moment has the possibility of delighting us, nurturing us, supporting us - if we are here to see it. Life is a tremendous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/every-moment-has-the-possibility-of-delighting-us-nurturing-us/)

[Don Richard Riso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

[Explore all 16 Don Richard Riso quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/)

## More Danger quotes

> [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

> [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [“Anything you fear is a shackle to ur soul. It is a phobia that tethers and blinds ur ability to see and comprehend your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/anything-you-fear-is-a-shackle-to-ur-soul-it-is-a-phobia-that-tethers/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/)

[Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/)

> [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/)

[Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/)

> [There are dangers in consensus: it could be an attempt to satisfy people holding no particular views about anything. ... No great party can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/there-are-dangers-in-consensus-it-could-be-an-attempt-to-satisfy/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [“I’ll always come back to you,” he said. “Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-grant/i-ll-always-come-back-to-you-he-said-always/)

[Donna Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-grant/)

> [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

> [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/)

[Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/)

> [A sea setting us upon the ice has brought us close to danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hudson/a-sea-setting-us-upon-the-ice-has-brought-us-close-to-danger/)

[Henry Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hudson/)

> [“You are a lawmaker in your own right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-are-a-lawmaker-in-your-own-right/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [There's a danger in starting a fire, you'll never know how many bridges you'll burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-danger-in-starting-a-fire-you-ll-never-know-how-many/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/)

[Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/)

[Browse all 5,463 Danger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological work by leaping into the transcendent too soon. This is because the ego always fancies itself much more 'advanced' than it actually is.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Don Richard Riso"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformational-work-is-that-the-ego/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Danger"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformational-work-is-that-the-ego/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4e/don-richard-riso-31530_danger_one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformati_2991049.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“One of the great dangers of transformational work is that the ego attempts to sidestep deep psychological…” — Don Richard Riso",
                "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": "Don Richard Riso",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-richard-riso/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "One of the great dangers of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformational-work-is-that-the-ego/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-richard-riso/one-of-the-great-dangers-of-transformational-work-is-that-the-ego/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
