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Results
The total sample collected for this study consisted of 35 individuals: 18 female
(51.4%) and 17 male (48.6%), providing roughly even distribution. This was a fortuitous
outcome, since participation in the study was voluntary and no effort was made to ensure
equal sampling in regards to gender. Other demographic parameters were not so well
dispersed, with 62.9% of the sample being married, 88.6% being white, and 48.5% falling
between the ages of 30 and 33.
The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a relationship between
spirituality and quiet ego. In order to accomplish this, a Pearson’s r Correlation was
calculated based on participants’ scores of spirituality and quiet ego. No relationship was
found, r (33) = 0.168, p = .336, 𝑟2 = f .028 (two-tailed). The null hypothesis is retained; there
is no correlation between spirituality and quiet ego (see Table 1).
Table 1
Pearson’s r Correlation for Spirituality and Quiet Ego
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The coefficient of determination demonstrates that less than three percent of
spirituality and quiet ego can be accounted for by the other variable (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
Scatterplot for Spirituality and Quiet Ego
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Discussion
This study set out to determine if a relationship exists between spirituality and quiet
ego. A survey was administered to 35 volunteers via Facebook and Google Forms, with the
results ultimately indicating that no such relationship exists. One limitation of the study was
the sampling method, with only people who owned Facebook accounts and were friends with
the researcher able to participate. This led a few individuals to question whether the
researcher would be able to identify their data, which could conceivably have led to a subject
effect despite reassurances of anonymity. It is also possible that some of the heavily skewed
demographic factors had an impact on results, with white, married people in their early
thirties being disproportionately represented.
While the null hypothesis was retained, this was not an altogether unexpected
outcome based on the research examined: MacLeod et al. (2019) saw a stark contrast in
anxiety levels between those who considered themselves religious versus spiritual, with
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spiritual people experiencing less anxiety and aligning more with quiet ego characteristics.
While all religious people may be spiritual, not all spiritual people are religious; this leads to
difficulty in interpreting the interactions between spirituality and quiet ego without also
knowing where participants score on a scale of religiosity. This line of reasoning extends to
the constituent components of quiet ego, such as self-compassion, as well. While self-
compassion is part of quiet ego (Chew & Ang, 2021), it is unclear if self-compassion is a
necessary–or even desirable–characteristic of spirituality generally, much less consistently
necessary or desirable across the plethora of organized religions. Gratitude, on the other hand,
another quiet ego component, was found to reinforce positive religious experiences in
individuals and shield them from negative religious experiences (Szcześniak et al., 2022).
These characteristics represent a microcosm of the issue with attempting to use spirituality as
a variable without accounting for religiosity: the two interact in ways that can corroborate or
contradict each other depending on the metric observed.
What spirituality even means, or what it means to have a spiritual awakening, varies
drastically from ego-dissolution to an explosion of energy (Taylor, 2018). While the former
can encourage leaders to display quiet ego characteristics that improve job satisfaction
(Buonomo et al., 2021), there is still no clear research, as highlighted earlier, on how the
constructs of quiet ego and spirituality interact. It is very possible the results of this study are
accurate and that quiet ego and spirituality have too many constituent components with
conflicting interactions to significantly correlate. Even if this is the case, while the results of
this study did not find a link between quiet ego and spirituality, there is still the very relevant
question of how elements of these constructs interact. The research hypothesis is both broad
and in its infancy; meaning that if further research can parse apart spirituality from religiosity
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or look at how some of the other, unexamined elements of quiet ego interact with spirituality,
a future study could re-examine the research question with a better understanding of its
complexities, and hopefully, a more representative demographic sample.
References
Buonomo, I., Farnese, M. L., Vecina, M. L., & Benevene, P. (2021). Other-focused approach
to teaching. the effect of ethical leadership and quiet ego on work engagement and the
mediating role of compassion satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 692116-
692116. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.692116
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Chew, L., & Ang, C. (2021). The relationship among quiet ego, authenticity, self-compassion
and life satisfaction in adults. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.),
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01867-5
MacLeod, R., Wilson, D. M., Crandall, J., & Austin, P. (2019). Death anxiety among New
Zealanders: The predictive roles of religion, spirituality, and family connection.
Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 80(1), 3-19.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222817724307
Szcześniak, M., Falewicz, A., Madej, D., Bielecka, G., Pracka, J., & Rybarski, R. (2022).
The mediating effect of dispositional gratitude on the relationship between religious
struggles and self-esteem: Preliminary results. Religions (Basel, Switzerland ), 13(1),
70. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010070
Taylor, S. (2018). Two modes of sudden spiritual awakening? ego-dissolution and explosive
energetic awakening. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, 37(2), 131.
https://doi.org/10.24972/ijts.2018.37.2.131
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Appendix
Section 1
1. Biological sex:
a. Answer options (select one):
Male
Female
2. Gender:
a. Answer options (select one):
Male
Female
Other
3. Age in years:
4. Racial category:
a. Answer options (select all that apply):
Native
American
Asian
Black or
African
American
Hispanic or
Latino
Pacific
Islander
White
Other
5. Marital status:
a. Answer options: (select one):
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
Never
Married
Section 2
1. In terms of questions I have about life, my spirituality answers:
No Questions
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Absolutely all my questions
10
2. Growing spiritually is:
More important than
anything else in my life
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Of no importance to me
0
3. When I am faced with an important decision, my spirituality:
Plays absolutely no role
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Is always the overriding
consideration
10
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4. Spirituality is:
The master motive of my
life, directing every other
aspect of my life
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Not a part of my life
0
5. When I think of the things that help me to grow and mature as a person, my
spirituality:
Has no effect on my
personal growth
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Is absolutely the most
important factor in my
personal growth
10
6. My spiritual beliefs affect:
Absolutely every aspect of
my life
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
No aspect of my life
0
Section 3
1. I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge how you think
about yourself and the world.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
2. I find myself doing things without paying much attention.*
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
3. I feel a connection to all living things.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
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4. Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their
place.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
5. For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
6. I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing.*
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
7. I feel a connection with strangers.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
8. When I’m upset at someone, I usually try to put myself in his or her shoes for
a while.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
9. I have the sense that I have developed a lot as a person over time.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
10. I rush through activities without being really attentive to them.*
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
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11. I sometimes find it difficult to see things from another person’s point of view.*
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
12. I feel a connection to people of other races.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
13. I try to look at everybody’s side of a disagreement before I make a decision.
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
14. When I think about it, I haven’t really improved much as a person over the
years.*
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
2
Neither Agree
or Disagree
3
Agree
4
Strongly Agree
5
