Id vs superego5/21/2023 Instead, it filters the reality part of life and makes one more acquainted with his identity. Hence, ego does not polish the human behavior. Ego does not pay attention to the selflessness of actions, but concentrates solely on the reality of life. It filters only the real and allows the unreal to drain. Thus, ego reacts to the desires in a perfect manner possible. It aims at reality and not the fantasies. The real duty of the ego is to strike the perfect balance between the desires of the human being and the reality of these desires. It is the response of the human mind to what is real. It takes what is real or extracts what is real. It is often referred to as the common sense. What is Ego?Įgo can simply be identified as the part of the personality that operates on the reality principle. This highlights the basic difference between the two types, ego and superego. Superego, on the other hand, is the part of the personality which operates on the morality principle. Ego can be understood as the part of the personality which is aware of the reality. Also, Ego and Superego are both considered as important by psychologists who research on this field of expertise. In this sense, both Ego and Super Ego can be considered as two types of the human psyche. In Sigmund Freud’s works of psychoanalysis, Freud speaks of three types of the human psyche. Ego and Superego can be understood as two different terms used in Psychology. It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection”.Although both ego and superego are often regarded as similar, there are a number of differences between them. “The superego’s function is to control the id’s impulses, especially those which society forbids, such as sex and aggression. for the potential whistleblower) may not necessarily be the action we believe is right (blowing the whistle). For example, in business ethics what is pragmatic (and causes least pain – think e.g. There can be a conflict between values and desires (id) or with the reality principle (ego) at any time with the human psyche. The superego is idealistic and led by values (even if the values prove to be imposed by our upbringing, and irrational). So in a sense the superego can be in conflict with either ego or id, but seeks to create some moral order on both (and any conflict between them). neurotic) only be liberated from unconscious (repressed) desires or suppressed feelings by therapy. However, as it is a product of parental and social ideas of right and wrong it can also be the source of irrational guilt, for example, about sexual feelings or behaviours, and correspond to an ‘immature conscience’. As the superego is our moral controlling mechanism (Freudian origin of conscience), it seeks to reconcile contradictory feelings, desires and goals within the psyche. It is pragmatic (in a utilitarian sense, consequentialist).ģ. In this sense ego and id are in conflict, as in the two horses of Plato’s chariot (passions verus ideals) which may pull in opposite directions in behavioural terms. The ego is trying to impose some rational order on the id. The ego comprises an idea of self or a projection of our self identity (who am I?) – where the pleasure principle is moderated by ‘the reality principle’ (in a sense determining ‘what we can live with’), as the attached weblink expresses it “working out realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society”. The ego is ‘like a man on horseback, who has to hold in check the superior strength of the horse.’” ( see weblink below)Ģ. “Freud made the analogy of the id being a horse while the ego is the rider. Freud used a related horse analogy (a bit different for the charioteer) There is actually a conflict also within the id between eros (creative life instinct) and thanatos (destructive death instinct) – an intriguing idea when we consider the way society misuses and misunderstands the role of eros in the psyche. The picture is of the screaming and demanding infant that needs to be taught/develop self-control. It represents the unruly passions – one of the horse’s pulling Plato’s chariot in the analogy of the charioteer. As the id is primitive (infantile), and in a sense compulsive part of the psyche, and driven by the ‘pleasure principle’.
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