The Ego

It is said that in order to find true enlightenment one must overcome their ego. However isn't the point of enlightenment to establish an understanding of the entire world inside and out to combine all aspects of life in to a unified whole? If that is the case, than isn't the ego part of that unified whole? Doesn't it have it's part to play in the perfect harmony of life? How can it be said that any aspect of the human sentience has to be abandoned in order to heighten another aspect of it? The ego is necessary to the physical, spiritual and mental development of all persons. However once again, the attributes of the ego, desire, plotting and striving must be toned down a bit. The ego should not be the entire forefront of the human personality. We should not put on a facade at every moment of social interaction. And that is what the ego is, a facade. An outer shell that confines our true being. We must learn to use the ego to our benefit, but to also lessen it's strangle hold over our perceptions of reality. Egos collide constantly, it is when we start using a deeper level of perception to interact with others that true understanding takes place.