Id, Ego and Superego Id,

Id, Ego and Superego

Id, ego and super-ego

Id, ego and superego come from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality. According to Sigmund Freud, personality of composed of three distinct but interrelated elements which are the id, ego, and superego which are in constant conflict with one another and are the primary causes of human anxiety and unhappiness. These three elements work together to create the complex behaviors of human beings by influencing the physical and mental interaction of the activities conducted by the individual Bowman, 1928.

The id, ego and superego play a critical role in shaping the interaction of human beings in the world and though they are different driving forces, they interrelate and interact to resolve the conflict and create different levels of consciousness that shapes our personality by eliminating the anxiety and unhappiness.

The Id

According to Freud, the id is the only element of a person's personality that is present from the time they are born. He argues that the element is entirely unconscious or impulsive and includes the instinctive and primitive behaviors of human beings. He also asserts that the id is the primary source of all psychic energy which makes the id the primary component in shaping our personality. The id varies in accordance with the pleasure principle since it is driven by simple individualistic pleasures since it strives for immediate gratification for all of its wants, needs and desires. The pleasure principle states that every wishful impulse in a person should be immediately gratified regardless of its consequences. When these needs are not immediately satisfied, it leads to a state of anxiety, tension, or stress. The best example that is given is that of hunger. From the early ages of infancy, when an infant is hungry, they are uncomfortable and will cry until the demands of their id are met through feeding.

Freud also states that satisfying the needs of the id may not always be realistic or feasible. In trying to satisfy the needs of the id, the behavior may be disruptive or socially unacceptable such as stealing. Freud thus states that the id tries to resolve tension that results from lack of these needs through the primary process. This involves the formation of a mental image of the object being desired which helps to satisfy the need and resolve the tension Duhamel, 1999()

The ego

Sigmund Freud argues that the ego develops from the id as a result of the person's interaction with reality. He states that it is modified by the direct influences created by the external world in which we live. It develops in order to mediate between the id that is unrealistic and the external world that is real. It is the personality element that is responsible in dealing with the person's reality and it ensures that the impulses created by the id can be expressed in an acceptable manner in the real world. Freud argues that the ego functions in all three states of consciousness which are in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious minds Fromm, 1976()

Freud asserts that the ego operates on the reality principle and strives to satisfy the desires of the id in ways that are realistic and socially acceptable. It primarily weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon it or to abandon the impulses. In most cases, the impulses are satisfied through the process of delayed gratification, and it eventually allows the behavior but only at the time and place that is appropriate. The ego also discharges any tension that is created through the lack of immediate gratification of the impulses created by the id through the secondary process whereby the ego tries to find a real world object to match the mental image that was created by the id in the primary process with which the satisfy the need.

Smith (1963)

adds that the ego works through reasoning where the id is being totally unreasonable. The ego does not have any concept of right or wrong but it understands that an action is good when it achieves the desired end of satisfying the need without harming the id or itself.

The superego

The superego is the last component of personality to develop in a person. Sigmund Freud argues that the superego begins to appear in a person at the age of five years during the phallic stage of psychosocial development. It is the personality aspect that holds all of the internalized moral ideals and standards that a person acquires from both their parents and the society. It provides the person with the sense of right and wrong and provides guidelines upon which a person can make judgment. He argues that the superego has two parts. The first is the ego ideal which includes the standards and rules for good behavior. The ideal is the picture of how a perfect human being should be by representing various aspects such as behavior, how to related to others, and career aspirations. These include the behaviors which are approved by parental or other authoritative figures. By obeying these rules, the person has feelings of pride, accomplishment, and value. Behavior which does not coincide with the ideal is punished by the superego though feelings of guilt or remorse. The second part is the conscience and it includes information about the things which are considered to be wrong by both the parents and the society. These are often forbidden behaviors and lead to negative consequences such as punishment or feelings of remorse and guilt Velleman, 1999()

Freud asserts that the superego serves to perfect our behavior and make it comply with the societal norms. It suppresses all unacceptable demands of the id by controlling the impulses of the id, especially those which are forbidden by the society such as aggression and sex and also strives to make the actions of the ego coincide with idealistic standards rather than the realistic principles by persuading the ego to turn to the more moralistic goals and to strive for perfection. Like the ego, the superego is present in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious states.