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In his theories on personality, Sigmund Freud argued that the human mind is made up of the id, the ego, and the superego. These three parts interact with each other and are responsible for the development of personality and human behavior.
About Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian and Jewish neurologist. He received his medical degree in 1881 at the University of Vienna and also served as a professor of neuropathology.
Throughout his extensive career he developed different theories, such as the theory of seduction, that of personality and that of dreams. Freud also focused on the study of the unconscious and the methodology of psychotherapy. Among his most important works are On aphasia (1891), Studies on hysteria (1895); The interpretation of dreams (1899); The psychopathology of everyday life (1904); jokes and their relationship with the unconscious (1905); Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905); The Totem and the Taboo: Similarities Between the Psychic Lives of Savages and Neurotics (1913);Group psychology and ego analysis (1921); The I and the It (1923); Inhibitions, symptoms and anxiety (1926); and Schema of psychoanalysis (1940), among others.
In addition to these books, Freud published numerous histories of his patients. His correspondence with other psychiatrists and scientists of his time is also preserved.
After spending his entire life in Vienna, Freud fled to the United Kingdom, escaping increasing Nazi persecution in Europe. He passed away in 1939.
Although many of Freud’s ideas have been highly controversial and widely criticized from a scientific point of view, his contributions continue to be highly influential in the field of psychology. He is currently considered the father of psychoanalysis and one of the greatest references in modern psychology.
The theory of personality: the ego, the superego and the id
One of Freud’s most important theories was the Personality Theory, which he proposed in 1920. In it he introduced the concepts of the ego, the superego and the id, expanding his previous concepts of the conscious, unconscious and preconscious. He also adapted the previous scheme to an iceberg, thus representing the roles of the three parts of the human psyche and personality.
In addition to describing their characteristics and their relationships to each other, Freud also explained how each of the parts of the mind contribute to the behavior of each person.
Freud’s work was based on the observations and case studies of his patients. He argued that early childhood experiences pass through the id, the ego, and the superego, and that the way a person handles those experiences, both consciously and unconsciously, is what gives rise to that person’s personality. individual.
What is personality according to Freud
Throughout his career and studies, Freud changed the definition of personality until he concluded that it is the result of the conflict between the search for pleasure and our destructive impulses , both regulated by the rules and social limits of our environment.
In this way, the construction of personality is something that each person performs according to their internal conflicts and external requirements.
Due to this, personality can also be defined as the way in which each person faces their internal and external conflicts and develops in society.
To describe the personality and the complex process that occurs until it is formed, Freud developed five models:
- Topographic (conscious, unconscious and preconscious)
- Dynamic (impulses and defense mechanisms)
- Economic (life drive and death drive)
- Genetic (stages of psychosexual development)
- Structural (id, ego, superego)
Within the structural model, the personality is divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. Each of these parties is in constant conflict and seeks to prevail over the others.
elements of personality
To better understand the components of personality, let’s look at each one in detail.
the it
The id , also called id in English, is the most primitive and instinctive part of the personality. It develops in the first years of life, up to approximately two years of age.
The id is a totally unconscious part and is related to impulses, desires and basic needs. It is governed by the principle of short-term pleasure, that is, it seeks to satisfy the individual’s needs immediately and impulsively. When these are not satisfied, a tension arises that leads the individual to carry out an action or to fantasize about what he wants.
Another particular characteristic of the id is that it never grows or changes, but remains the same throughout life, because as an unconscious entity it never takes reality into account and is not affected by it. Therefore, it is an illogical, selfish and unrealistic part that maintains its primitive characteristics.
Subsequently, the individual develops the ego and the superego, which serve to control the id and avoid purely instinctive and animal behavior; Thanks to this balance, the person can adapt to society. The manifestation of the id can be clearly observed in the behavior of newborns, who only satisfy their needs.
The I
The self , also called the ego , is the second part of the personality. It is not to be confused with the ego as a self-concept, but is used by Freud as a way of describing functions such as control, regulation, and judgment.
The ego arises from the id and develops after the first two years of age. It is governed by the reality principle, that is, it works to satisfy the desires and needs of the id, but in a more reasonable, realistic and less impulsive way.
The self is a more rational and conscious form of personality. In fact, the ego focuses on recognizing and managing reality, making sure that the impulses of the id are manifested in a way that is socially accepted. Put another way, the self is what allows a person to have control over their impulses; it is a filter that is modified according to your needs and external demands, taking into account social rules.
In the iceberg scheme, the self is found in the conscious, the unconscious, and the limit between the two, which is the preconscious. This is because while the ego is in touch with reality, it can also repress the forbidden desires or impulses of the unconscious.
Some examples of ego action are delaying the reward or doing something that avoids the negative consequences of going against the norms of society.
the superego
The superego , also known as superego , is the third part of the personality, which begins to be built during the phallic stage of psychosexual development, between 3 and 5 years of age, and continues to be formed until reaching adulthood.
Unlike the ego and the id, the superego is governed by morals and rules, what is right and what is wrong, as well as the search for perfection. Children learn these values from their environment, primarily from their parents and later from teachers, close relatives, and other authority figures.
Like the ego, the superego is in the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious, but it also includes the “ideal self.” The conscious part of the superego limits unacceptable behaviors, rewards positive actions with feelings of pride, and punishes negative actions with feelings of guilt. In the unconscious part of the superego, the pressure to follow the rules and the impact produced by the search for ideals generally accumulate.
The ideal self is all the social and cultural rules and norms of behavior that the person must follow. If the standards of the ideal self are too high, the person will feel guilt, dissatisfaction, and frustration; he will also have the feeling of having failed.
The superego controls the id, keeping at bay impulses that are considered taboo in society, such as sex and violence. Even in contrast to the ego, which follows realistic standards, the id aspires to moralistic standards.
The importance of the balance of the id, the ego and the superego in the personality
Freud pointed out that the elements of the personality, the id, the ego and the superego, interact with each other and are in a constant and dynamic struggle. Among them, the ego acts as a mediator to satisfy the needs of the id, taking into account reality and, at the same time, respecting social norms.
The balance between the id, the ego and the superego results in a healthy personality. On the contrary, the lack of balance between them generates problems and disorders in the personality. For example, if an individual’s id dominates his personality, he will probably act on his impulses without considering the rules of society. In turn, this can cause problems with the law.
If the superego dominates the personality of the individual, he can become a rigid person, very self-righteous, who negatively judges anyone who does not meet his standards.
On the other hand, if the ego is the dominant one in the personality, the individual will be someone inflexible, who depends too much on the rules and norms of society, incapable of having a personal opinion about what is right and what is wrong.
Bibliography
- Freud, S. The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud – Volume XIX: The Ego and the Id, and Other Works . (2013). Amorrurtu Editors.
- Triglia, A. The id, the ego and the superego, according to Sigmund Freud. Available at: https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/ello-yo-superyo-sigmund-freud
