I recently realized that I want to be the moral winner of every argument. The price doesn't matter. I'm ready to sacrifice everything for it. I just feel better if I do win. I take personally every injustice in the world and sympathize with the victim and not the winner and I take it personally if the injustice is not righted.
... and I go too far. And when I go too far I start regretting for loosing it. Then I become too humble and people take advantage of it.
It's hard to accept a lost cause, so I fight them long after they're clearly lost. I guess my ego cannot accept failure. I guess I have an ego that's too big. (Did you notice how many times I started my sentence with an 'I' ?)
But at least I realize it, right?
Here's a good article on ego:
Are You an Egomaniac?
(read the whitepaper at the end - it's worth it).