From a biological perspective, the self is a creation of the human mind; we come wired that way. In a wild environment, we wouldn't survive being simple consciousness, we have to ourself as something distinct in the world that needs to be focused on eating, drinking, breathing, and in general putting energy into keeping our bodies alive.

I understand your perspective is metaphysical. Like you, I believe we need to experience simple consciousness and keep it accessible, which I do through meditation.

Western culture makes too much of the self, and we need to moderate our investment for own well-being, as you advocate in admirably clear terms. Yet at core, our self is natural and inherent to our being, and not our enemy as one might come to think in the process of reducing unhealthy investment in the self.