The first sin of ego is hubris - arrogance. The arrogance of ego is to insist, "I know best." "I know what is right." "I know the answers." "I know the way." "And the world will conform to my will." This all to frequent human failing is illustrated through an old story:
A man of supreme faith in God waited and watched as torrents of rain fell raising the nearby river. In a few days the river overflowed its banks. The water began to flood the man's home. After three days of fighting off flood waters a neighbor came by in a canoe to ask our hero if he needed help getting to dry land. No, the man insisted, God would care for him. He sent the good Samaritan on his way. The water continued to rise, until the man was trapped on the second story of his house. Within hours a speedboat came by, its driver offered the man a lift to drier, safer ground. Again the man rejected the offer; God would save him. The waters continued to rise, forcing the man to scramble onto his roof. As daylight broke after a miserable night a helicopter flew in, dropping a line to pull the man to safety. Again the man refused, claiming God would rescue him. Finally raging waters collapsed the house, drowning our would-be hero in the torrent. The man, upon seeing God in heaven, lamented, "Lord I put my faith in you to rescue me." God looked at the man with pity and replied, "Well, heck, I sent a canoe, a speedboat, and a helicopter