Spiritually speaking, if brainpower is our number one differentiation as a species, why are we?

It does not sound as if this is a question, but a question and an answer, for other people. Pride is by definition not a negative thing, but it is often seen as negative by people due to teachings that to have pride and be proud are negative things. It is also closely related to the ego, the ego is likely what you have been attempting to fight in some senses.

The ego is not negative, the ego is what makes us feel good about most things, the ego is what drives us. If we want something, regardless of what it is, it is because we get something out of it, even things that appear to be self sacrificing, such as to volunteer to help the poor. In volunteering some believe they get nothing out of it, but really the subconscious, the ego.. is saying 'I helped these people, I am a good person, I am better than most people, they need me, I made them happy', etc... things that make us feel good, even if we were to die for our own children it would still be a case of closest to pleasure, farthest from pain, according to our definitions of pleasure and/or pain, you may say.. it is painful to die, but perhaps it is more painful to see your child die, and so you get something out of it.

In this sense virtually everything we do is selfish, if we do something truly un-selfish then we will get nothing out of it, it is not that we help the poor because they need help, no, it is that we are driven to feel good about what we are doing, to feel good about ourselves, I can guaranty that if someone helps another, but gets no pleasure or good feeling out of it at all then they will not do it again. The ego is essentially the difference IMO between Animals and Humans. The ego drives us to always reassure ourselves, to always be better than everyone else in some ways and to always have more or have better things, or be more/better than previously, and than other people.

The key to this is to control the ego, rather than to let the ego control you, which would lead to greed. Controlling the ego means you can use it to do good things and feel good about it, because you get something out of it.. I'd say, it's the good side of the ego. Thanks, ego.

This drive is the cause for advancement in technology, fighting, education, competitions, etc.. almost everything we live for. If the ego controls the person, the person may have everything they want, lots of money, houses, cars, etc.. but will not be happy, and will lead a greedy life.. To ignore the ego totally would be to not feel good about things like achievement.. it would IMO put us back to survival instincts only, like most animals. I forgot also to mention, Karma, for those who believe in Karma, good acts will be done because of the belief that they will get something out of it, rather than just from good will of helping someone or something.. So to sum up.. we are always selfish, but this doesn't need to be a bad thing.. Most people would say selfless is for someone else, selfish is for self only, against everyone else.. ultimately both are selfish as we only really do those things for ourselves.

However some other things can make us happy without the ego too, such as love.. but there are not many other things that make us feel good.

If one can clearly distinguish from pride arising out of body consciousness and the self respect arising out of realized self and knowing the Self. The potential of the knowledge of Self is integral to creative potential and of becoming but to even have pride at that stage cannot be considered a virtue. The story of Vsihwamitra and Vashishta as being desingated as Raja Rishi and Deva Rsihi is a fine example of how those Maharshis who have transcended all the human levels of consciousness are also sometimes entrapped in the snares that the mind can set up for each individual.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.