Ego is not a dirty word...
Whether you move through life with complete naivety and disregard for your ego, or, your spiritual path of choice has you contemplating it daily, none of us are immune to the challenges one can face going head-to-head with a stubborn and strong-willed sense of self.
We are born into this life as innocent soulful beings without the concept of 'I'.
Before long though life and all it's complexities and conditioning ensures that the "I" lands pretty quickly to ensure our survival.