What’s more fascinating is that the superego is present at a conscious, preconscious, and unconscious level making the latter the more difficult to figure out and manage. The goal of the superego, which strives for moral perfections without taking into account the actual reality, is to try to civilize and perfect our behaviour by suppressing all unacceptable primeval urges of the id and while struggling to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. The id is the more primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives as well as hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego. Understanding it can become one of the most powerful tools to unlock mental well-being.Īccording to Freud’s personality theory (1923) our psyche is structured into three parts that develop at different stages in our lives: id, ego and superego. All 3 components are critical, and without them, humans would not be the way are they.We all have a superego although some of us call it differently: conscience, morality or something to do with a guilty voice inside of us. Without the id and superego, we have no desire or morals. without the id and ego, we are all unrealistic. Essentially, without the ego and superego, we are all children. Unlike the superego, the ego is logical and realistic when processing a course of action. Unlike the id, and like the superego, the ego takes into account societal norms and morality. Like the id, the ego prioritizes obtaining the pleasure it desires.
The ego is responsible for compromising between the reckless id and the over idealistic superego. The ego is the middle ground between the id and the superego, and is represented by the person who’s shoulders the angel and devil are standing on.
In the example of the devil and angel, the superego is represented by the angel, due to the “ideal self” that it promotes.įinally, the ego, or the self. The superego is responsible for compelling people to make the morally right decision based on society’s and other’s expectations. The superego is a direct counter to the id, for example if someone decides to give into the id and do something wrong, the superego will respond through guilt or shame. Secondly, the superego is the inherent good in a person that has been instilled or molded by figures such as parents, teachers and society. In the example of a devil and angel on someone’s shoulder, the id is represented by the devil due to its reckless and disregarding nature. The id is not in touch with reality or logic, it simply compels a person to do what they want, regardless of consequences or repercussions. When humans are first born, they only possess and id, later on they develop an ego and a superego. This is the premise of Freud’s theory, every person’s psyche consists of an id, ego and superego, and each one contributes to decisions made by the said person.įirstly, the id is the primitive and impulsive part of our psyche, and responds directly to needs and desires. This theory is commonly depicted as a devil and angel on someone’s shoulder, signifying a bad side and a good side, with the person in the middle to manage the two. Sigmund Freud is famous for being the founder of psychoanalysis and introducing multiple new psychology theories, the most enduring of which was the notion that the human psyche is composed of 3 parts.
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