--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The better teachers recognize that by…" description: "\"The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of the rigid ego identity habit, you actually strengthen the resilient, flexible, creative ego, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg" --- # The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of… ![“The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of the rigid ego identity habit, you actually strengthen the resilient, flexible, creative ego, and you then can be more effective in helping others, and creative in whatever work you do.” quote by Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg) > “The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of the rigid ego identity habit, you actually strengthen the resilient, flexible, creative ego, and you then can be more effective in helping others, and creative in whatever work you do.” [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Letting go of a rigid ego identity creates a flexible, resilient self that enhances creativity and effectiveness in helping others and work. **In simple terms:** Release rigid ego to boost flexibility and creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace ego fluidity for greater impact. Themes self‑growth creativity service resilience Mood reflective inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - team leadership - coaching - artistic projects - community service Key Concepts ego psychology mindfulness personal development Questions to Reflect On - How does a flexible ego improve your work? - What risks arise from losing a stable identity? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on ego fluidity may blur personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Freeing Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freeing-yourself/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Helping others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping-others/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Resilient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilient/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [As a typical creative, I am all ego and insecurity!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-droga/as-a-typical-creative-i-am-all-ego-and-insecurity/) [David Droga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-droga/) > [“Nonreaction to the ego in others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond ego in yourself but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/nonreaction-to-the-ego-in-others-is-one-of-the-most-effective-ways/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Non-reaction to the ego in others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond ego in yourself but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/non-reaction-to-the-ego-in-others-is-one-of-the-most-effective-ways/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Your ego identity, the attachment to the bogus idea you have of yourself prevents you from expressing your authentic talent and who you truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franco-santoro/your-ego-identity-the-attachment-to-the-bogus-idea-you-have-of/) [Franco Santoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franco-santoro/) > [“Ego, Identity and Self - the 3 concepts of one's creation that defines them entirely. Have an Ego, for without one, there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/ego-identity-and-self-the-3-concepts-of-one-s-creation-that-defines/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) > [Children cannot be fooled by empty praise and condescending encouragement. They may have to accept artificial bolstering of their self-esteem in lieu of something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-erikson/children-cannot-be-fooled-by-empty-praise-and-condescending/) [Erik Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-erikson/) > [“Since the earliest period of our life was preverbal, everything depended on emotional interaction. Without someone to reflect our emotions, we had no way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/since-the-earliest-period-of-our-life-was-preverbal-everything/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [When you let go, is when you start freeing yourself. It is totally up to you, to unleash the enchantment and grace of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-let-go-is-when-you-start-freeing-yourself-it-is-totally-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Bit by bit, at 124 and in the Clearing, along with others, she had claimed herself. Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/bit-by-bit-at-124-and-in-the-clearing-along-with-others-she-had/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. Forgiveness is you not letting your hate and anger rule your life. Because it will, whether you realize it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lingerfelt/forgiving-doesn-t-mean-forgetting-forgiveness-is-you-not-letting-your/) [James Russell Lingerfelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lingerfelt/) > [Freeing yourself from an overbooked schedule lets you experience more of lifes good surprises, and also provides you with flexibility when the unforeseen disrupts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/freeing-yourself-from-an-overbooked-schedule-lets-you-experience-more/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Simplicity= freeing yourself from trappings. Keep it simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/simplicity-freeing-yourself-from-trappings-keep-it-simple/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“″Don't be afraid of becoming your highest light and deepest love. Trust and follow. In freeing yourself, you will free the others.″”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-klippstein/don-t-be-afraid-of-becoming-your-highest-light-and-deepest-love-trust/) Nils Klippstein > [The first step in freeing yourself from social restrictions is the realization that there is no such thing as a safe code of conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-first-step-in-freeing-yourself-from-social-restrictions-is-the/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [Forgiveness means freeing yourself from that situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forgiveness-means-freeing-yourself-from-that-situation/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Robert Thurman > [Whether or not enlightenment is a plausible goal for us is a vital question for our lives. If it is possible for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/whether-or-not-enlightenment-is-a-plausible-goal-for-us-is-a-vital/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [You're more responsible ethically for being there with your interconnection to the world, but the you now is an always changing one, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/you-re-more-responsible-ethically-for-being-there-with-your/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [However, because of your interconnectedness with all things, other beings still have a problem, and when you realize that you have no absolute self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/however-because-of-your-interconnectedness-with-all-things-other/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [If you love your enemy, that means you want your enemy to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/if-you-love-your-enemy-that-means-you-want-your-enemy-to-be-happy/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [In Buddhist ideology, the conventional self is that which is constructed in a way by the use of the pronoun, and when you realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/in-buddhist-ideology-the-conventional-self-is-that-which-is/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [To become enlightened is not just to slip into some disconnected euphoria, an oceanic feeling of mystic oneness apart from ordinary reality. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/to-become-enlightened-is-not-just-to-slip-into-some-disconnected/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [I think about the trends at the moment in the planet and how it looks for my grandchildren. I don't panic over it, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/i-think-about-the-trends-at-the-moment-in-the-planet-and-how-it-looks/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [To finish building the free society dreamed of by Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson, we must draw upon the resources of the enlightened imagination, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/to-finish-building-the-free-society-dreamed-of-by-washington-franklin/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [Hate poisons your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/hate-poisons-your-life/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [A possession can't make you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/a-possession-can-t-make-you-happy/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [People in Tibet have an expression. When you reach a certain degree of venerableness and age, and people ask, "How are you?," there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/people-in-tibet-have-an-expression-when-you-reach-a-certain-degree-of/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [“Anger spoils relationships where there should be great reciprocity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/anger-spoils-relationships-where-there-should-be-great-reciprocity/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [It isn't the meaning of love where you somehow desire that one or you want them or want them to love you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/it-isn-t-the-meaning-of-love-where-you-somehow-desire-that-one-or-you/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the greatest teachers of our time. He reaches from the heights of insight down to the deepest places…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/thich-nhat-hanh-is-one-of-the-greatest-teachers-of-our-time-he/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) > [I'd like to say is that we shouldn't have an idea that the goal of spiritual practice is to annihilate ones ego, that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/i-d-like-to-say-is-that-we-shouldn-t-have-an-idea-that-the-goal-of/) [Robert Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) [Explore all 73 Robert Thurman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/) ## More Creative quotes > [An artist's creative energy is ephemeral as a flower. It blooms and soon dies. No artist is great forever. Personally, I think I reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ki-duk/an-artist-s-creative-energy-is-ephemeral-as-a-flower-it-blooms-and/) [Kim Ki-duk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ki-duk/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [I can't let fear kill my creative brain. Fear is the killer. Your bad choices come from fear. And I'm constantly combating fear. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-m-chu/i-can-t-let-fear-kill-my-creative-brain-fear-is-the-killer-your-bad/) [Jon M. Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-m-chu/) > [Many humanists have argued that happiness involves a combination of hedonism and creative moral development; that an exuberant life fuses excellence and enjoyment, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kurtz/many-humanists-have-argued-that-happiness-involves-a-combination-of/) [Paul Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kurtz/) > [The creative strength is good enough and deep enough to bring itself to flower and to grow in spite of this sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-greenberg/the-creative-strength-is-good-enough-and-deep-enough-to-bring-itself/) [Joanne Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-greenberg/) > [Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audra-mcdonald/anytime-i-get-the-chance-to-sing-or-work-with-michael-john-it-is-such/) [Audra McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audra-mcdonald/) > [What Sri Chinmoy does is God-given! He has a tremendous, a fantastic creative urge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/what-sri-chinmoy-does-is-god-given-he-has-a-tremendous-a-fantastic/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [when times are tough, the weak bail and the tough get creative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/when-times-are-tough-the-weak-bail-and-the-tough-get-creative/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Teasing out the way the world might look through another's eyes is what makes the creative process so fascinating and enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-l-carter/teasing-out-the-way-the-world-might-look-through-another-s-eyes-is/) [Stephen L. Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-l-carter/) > [The creation lives as genesis beneath the visible surface of the work. All intelligent people see this after the fact, but only the creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-creation-lives-as-genesis-beneath-the-visible-surface-of-the-work/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) [Browse all 7,284 Creative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of the rigid ego identity habit, you actually strengthen the resilient, flexible, creative ego, and you then can be more effective in helping others, and creative in whatever work you do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Thurman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-freeing-yourself-of-the-rigid/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Creative" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-freeing-yourself-of-the-rigid/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d6/robert-thurman-9409_creative_the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-fr_2625734.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The better teachers recognize that by freeing yourself of the rigid ego identity habit, you actually…” — Robert Thurman", "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": "Robert Thurman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-thurman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The better teachers recognize that by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-freeing-yourself-of-the-rigid/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thurman/the-better-teachers-recognize-that-by-freeing-yourself-of-the-rigid/#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 } } ] } ```