short definition of
Id, Ego and Superego: Explained simply, the Id, Ego and Superego are three parts of the human
psyche which make up who we are, according to Sigmund Freud . The Id is the
primal animalistic part in us who only listens to his desires. The superego is
our conscience telling us some things are right and some are wrong. The Ego is
the part caught in the middle, is the part that has to negotiate demands from
the Id, the Superego and reality.
Further explanations on
Id, Ego and Superego:
For Freud, the three
mental faculties of Id, Ego and Superego are also three stages of mental
development. We are born pure Id, knowing only the will to satisfy our desires
and needs. The Id according to Freud operates under the "Pleasure Principle"
that wants maximum enjoyment and minimum pain.
As we grow we slowly
come to see that reality imposes certain restrictions on our pleasure principle
(basically, we realize that we can't have or do anything we want). We
therefore develop an inner agency called to Ego which is in charge or mediating
desires coming from the Id and demands posed by reality.
As the ego comes in
contact with reality he encounters values and beliefs that originate from the
world around him (say education for example). These external values are
internalized in order to form the Superego which acts as a voice demanding to
do "the right thing".
It is important to note
that or Freud, the Ego is who we experience ourselves as. The Id and Superego
are both "blind" in being out of touch we actual reality. This is why
both the Id and Superego pose impossible demands from the Ego which is in a way
"caught in the crossfire" between animalistic urges and cultural
restraints.
You can read more about Freud's Id, Ego and Superego in the following summaries:
Sigmund Freud - The Ego and the Id
Sigmund Freud - Beyond the Pleasure Principle
Sigmund Freud - Civilization and Its Discontents
Sigmund Freud - The Ego and the Id
Sigmund Freud - Beyond the Pleasure Principle
Sigmund Freud - Civilization and Its Discontents
And here are some recommended books on and by Freud:
