Can ego be a good thing?

Hey folks, first off I know having an ego (as in throwing fits and trying to discredit your training partners) in jiu jitsu isn't a "good" thing. But I mean more of the competitive side you have with your training partners, which I find pretty healthy. Don't get me wrong, I want to see my team mates succeed and improve and it excites me to see them become stronger practicioners. But it definitely sparks that competitive side of me when I get caught by someone who I usually get the better of, it motivates me to train harder and keep pace with their evolution (like I said before, I'm happy to see them improve). I've heard the cliche "leave your ego at the door" statement a million times, but I don't think you can have a competitive side without having a small amount of ego. I don't mean going full on tournament pace at practice and trying to snap arms off, I just mean in the big picture, I think your ego serves you well with your jiu jitsu development. I want to know from the wiser more seasoned members of the nibiru forum, where does your ego fit in the picture as far as your development goes?

I don't think having an ego can necessarily be a good thing. Being confident and competitive on the other hand is.

Your ego is an essential part of what makes you who you are. Everyone has an ego. It's a required part of functioning as a conscious living orgasm only able to experience life through its own subjective viewpoint.

Your job is just to recognize when your ego is helping you reach your goals and when it is holding you back. Whatever your goals may be.

So ask yourself first what your goals are. What do you wish to gain from your BJJ experience? Then try and craft an ego / mindset that best helps you attain that.

Gotta have ego. You just don't want your ego guiding you around by the nose. That's where people get in trouble and really stunt their progress.