Perhaps Ego and Self are one and the same concept, with Ego expressing a less enlightened aspect of our psyche than does our sense of Self.
Each day I randomly draw two Tarot cards to prepare myself
For what to expect re my relationship with Spirit.
Today’s first card was The Nine of Cups expressed by
A very self-satisfied person firmly guarding his treasures.
The second card was The Nine of Swords depicting a tragic figure
Tormented by regret.
Spirit tells me that contentment is the Middle Way, in which
Ego and Self flow into and sustain each other, as do
Yin and Yang, or Force and Form, the outer Pillars
Of The Tree of Life. Consciousness, the central Pillar
Serves to harmonize them
Without denying their uniqueness.
Simple Seeker Society 
Well these states of being or perceptions of good or bad just Are. And yes, the middle way seems best, yet not always easy to pursue, depending. What a dance is this life!
Yes, Bela, Life is a dance, as Rumi and other Sufi mystics knew And, the middle way, Spirit tells me, is not midway between opposites but a harmonizing of them by learning to recognize and resist extremes of either side. He walked me through a lesson of respect for both Law and Order, and Love and Compassion. They, too, can, separately, reach extremes. Rigid rules incite rebellion while too much love and compassion can smother individual desire to exert effort to improve one’s own life with effort, and become dependent and feel entitled. The middle way can pull us together with firm flexibility. What would it look like? I’m not sure, but it sounds ideal.