Playing Mahler's huge symphony requires something more than musical expertise, namely a capacity to dream big dreams and a collective ego of excessive grandeur.

I asked the L0pht members whether ego played a part in their ethical reasoning.

What is this trick that my body and my ego are playing on me now?

Businessmen familiar with the deal say strong egos and abrasive personalities on both sides played a role.

Yes, ego plays a role.

We are now veering into territories where ego plays a role in record-making.

But ego and grandeur do sometimes play a significant role in the scope of the construction, just as it did in earlier civilizations.

I think when you're younger, ego plays a bigger part.

Mr. Gore's not inconsiderable ego also played a role in the construction of the tactical box in which he finds himself.

As the family grew and its members' interests and aptitudes diverged, jealousies, egos and rivalries played their role.