An Ego Attack is a flash of negative, out-of-control emotion. It is the primary behavioral manifestation of following the Ego: The Wrong Mind.
It happens when the Decision-Maker mistakenly believes that an awful feeling—anger, resentment, or fear—was caused by someone else. Without a conscious pause, the teammate becomes behaviorally triggered:
- Body Language becomes tense or aggressive.
- Tone of Voice becomes sharp or sarcastic.
- Words become mean-spirited and toxic.
When this occurs, you are literally 👉out of your right mind.👈
An Ego Attack is the exact opposite of a Moment of Reason and instantly pulls the teammate out of the Classroom and into the Battleground.
The Anatomy of the Reaction
During an Ego Attack, the teammate is fully immersed in wrong-minded thinking.
They momentarily lose the ability to choose a productive response because they are convinced the other person is the “victimizer.” This guarantees that solutions remain hidden, as the entire focus shifts to conflict and defense. This reaction violates the RMT foundational philosophy: Do No Harm. Work as One.®
The Recovery Process: Training the Mind
The ability to stop an Ego Attack is a clear demonstration of Right-Minded Self-Regulation. An Ego Attack is a failure of self-regulation. It is a moment where the Decision-Maker chooses to punish a perceived victimizer rather than correct a teammate’s mistake. To recover, one must consciously choose to leave the Battleground and return to the Classroom.
The disciplined “trained” mind immediately says:
- I am angry: (Acknowledgment of the feeling)
- I have lost control: (Acceptance of the current state)
- I’m not upset for the reason I think: (Correction of the perceived cause)
- I am out of my right mind: (Self-Diagnosis/Withdrawal of projection)
- I need a Moment of Reason to gain control: (Action Plan for the Right Mind)
Returning to the Classroom
By initiating this internal pause, the Decision-Maker shifts their perception. They acknowledge the negative behavior was a mistake—and in RMT, mistakes are always to be corrected, not punished.
Once control is regained, the teammate can return to the Classroom and find a solution through Accepting, Forgiving, and Adjusting their attitude. This ensures the mistake doesn’t happen again and restores the team’s ability to work as one.
Action
To learn more about the Right-Minded philosophy of Do No Harm – Work as One, pick up a copy of Reason, Ego & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth: The Philosophy and Process for Creating a Right-Minded Team That Works Together as One.
Download the ebook package for free here at Right-Minded Teamwork
Buy the Paperback Book Directly from Us, or at Amazon
