Plotinus even made the point that it is better for a man not to be aware that he is acting virtuously, courageously, wisely, or practising contemplation beautifully, free from interfering mental images or thoughts. For then, if he does not know that he--the person--is doing so, no egoism will taint his consciousness. It will be pure being. He will do whatever has to be done by him as a human creature--whether it be a physical act or a mental one, he will respond to all situations that call for a human response, but neither the act nor the response will be accompanied by the personal ego. This does not mean that his worldly life or he himself will suffer loss of identity--only that he will be isolated from the worldly self-centered thought, desire, and motive which prompts the existence of the mass of people.
-- Notebooks Category 25: World-Mind in Individual Mind > Chapter 2 : Enlightenment Which Stays > # 89
