So often when people speak about ego, it is in concern of it getting "too big" or allowing oneself to become "full of oneself." However, in the world of social services, we see ego telling us, "Not only is there always more work to do, people to help, but we have the power, the right, the responsibility or even the obligation to do something." This notion is not only harmful to the clients of social services, but in fact creates a universally toxic workplace for social service providers.

The audience should start to recognize their internal drives to "provide service;" understand ways their implicit bias and need for self-determination informs the work of social service provision, and think about ways to systemically tackle the nonprofit industrial complex from an ego-death perspective.

We expect the audience to be critically engaged in conversation and thought about how their ego informs their daily work, and ultimately think about the ways in which this drive creates burnout and causes harm.