"Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it"

Colin Powell, a four-star basic and previous United States Secretary of State, uses knowledge in this quote that is important to bear in mind in both expert and personal contexts. He cautions against ending up being too closely related to one's position or task to the point where it becomes linked with one's sense of self - this can result in an over-inflated ego that becomes shattered if one's position is lost or undermined. Instead, Powell recommends keeping point of view and humbleness, acknowledging that a person's position is not the like one's identity or worth. By doing so, he recommends that one can weather obstacles and changes without losing self-esteem or succumbing to conceited thinking.