Ego - I versus the rest of the Universe

This is a tricky one, I got tread carefully on this one, because sometimes I get this intense clarity and vision of I and sometimes I get fooled. Wanting a certain result and not wanting some other result is ego driven - its because the I thinks that the result it wants is good for itself - although the I never has perfect information.
Seen in young people a lot - they want to be right, they may not have all the required skills but are desparate to be considered as competent and skillful, would fool themselves into believing that they are actually skillful and their parents or teachers are holding them back because they are biased or jealous. Such people get manipulated easily by praise.
Taking pleasure in others misery, my gut-feel is that is a mix of ego and loser behavior. I is most prominently visible during pleasure. Laughing at others, putting them down - these are all ego driven actions, where the I wants to feel skillful, useful and is relieved that somebody is worse off than itself - ha ! see I am better than you.
The I is so tiny and the rest of the Universe so big that attempts by I to take pride in its achievements seems quite pathetic.