Freud - The Id, Ego & Superego

Introduction to Freud

Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud is the father of the psychological medicine of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis was not meant however to be about curing people of their mental 'illnesses' instead it is about trying to unveil their deeper roots and how they came to fruition in the first place. Freud would spend most of his life exploring the human condition looking for answers. Despite a lot of his theories, especially that regarding women, being dismissed by todays psychologists and scientists, a case can be made for the continued relevance of Freud's work in psychology.

The Structural Model of the Personality
Freud is most recognised for his work regarding the theoretical symbolic structural model of the human personality that was first published in 1933. In this work Freud tried to give examples that would best suit the argument for past experiences and instinctual affects on personality. He split personality into three separate parts: the 'I', 'it' and 'above-I' (otherwise and more commonly known as the id, ego and superego).

The Id
The id, as Freud believed, was the instinctual part of the human personality. This part, present from birth, is only concerned with the principal of pleasure and hence demands instant gratification to such pleasures. These pleasures are instinctual such as the libido and even aggression. The id is subconscious and self-concerning only and is not concerned with the complications that come with the pleasures it desires. For example, if one were to only have an id, they would likely end up in a lot of trouble or harm for not considering the affects of their actions on others and what is considered socially acceptable behaviour. The subconscious is believed to take up almost 90% of our brain power and activity, meaning that only around 10% is conscious to us. It is possible however to become aware of your id's desires as although the subconscious is not currently in focal awareness, we can still notice it in action. For instance, we may instinctively carry out elements of driving without consciously deciding to do so.

The Superego
In order to ensure that the id doesn't run amuck, the superego or 'above-i' is developed through social experiences. Through parental guidance and society, we form a sense of morality as we grow older. Over time what we consider socially acceptable behaviour and 'good' or 'bad' may vary depending upon our experiences. This also unconscious part of our personalities will inflict a sense of guilt or shame onto you if you do not follow it. It is our sense of conscience. The superego is concerned with what others will think of them. The superego is also concerned with the ideal or perfect self we all aspire to be. If the ideal self is too high to possibly realistically achieve, then the person will not be rewarded with a sense of pride that comes with wish fulfilment.

The Ego
Often times the superego will have conflicting routes of action with the id. In order to achieve harmony and avoid chaos the ego is present to mediate the two. This is the conscious part of the personality that Freud argues has the ability to consider reality and make logical decisions that find a balance between the desires of both the id and superego. This is based upon the reality principal. a compromise will often have to be made in order to avoid dire consequences. Due to the size of the unconscious in comparison to the conscious mind, it is suggested that because of this the ego has a more often than not difficult time trying to control the id. Neuroses are the ways in which we repress the reality principal.