Id, Ego and Superego

On his Psychoanalysis theory, Sigmund Freud fronted three agencies which he believed are the main determinants of human personality. Freud wanted to establish a rationale that determines the behavior of a human being.  According to Freud, human personality does not just entail a single component. His psychoanalytic theory is, therefore, a theory that explains personality based on three components that do not act in the same manner. Three components which are the ego the id and the superego all contribute towards the final behavior that is elicited by a human being. There is such a complex interaction between the three elements though each of them appears at a particular instance in the life of a human being. The theory by Freud, therefore, shows that personality may not be fixed. The personality that is showed by an individual could be as a result of their basic urges or could be as a result of conforming to the demands of reality. The goals of psychotherapy as presented in Freud’s theory thus is to analyze the relationship between the three components.

The Id

According to Freud, this is the only component of personality that an individual was born with. It is the element that seeks immediate satisfaction. It is primarily unconscious and is dictated intrinsic and primary behaviors. It is the fundamental component of personality because it is the immediate response. It seeks immediate satisfaction because it resembles the very childish desires that no one can restrict (McLeod, 2016). For instance, the urge to eat is a primary desire, and once a person feels like they want to eat, it does not matter where they are. The only thing that matters to them is only how they can feed.

As presented by Freud, the id would be thought as the basic cravings. They are essential parts of personality that give a human being the ability to survive in the infantile stages. It is however less fulfilling in the latter stages. Seeing that it contains the naïve desires of a human being, it is disruptive and if followed could cause issues that are socially unacceptable. The id component of personality is, therefore, a component that gets weaker and rarely determines personality in the latter stage of life.

The Ego

The psychoanalytic theory by Freud presents that the ego element of personality is a rational part of the human personality. Freud presents it as the component of personality where both consciousness and unconsciousness dwell. It operates with a touch of reality such that it seems to control the id. It is the appropriate part where costs and benefits of taking certain actions are engaged. Often, the ego does not agree with the id (Lapsley & Stey, 2011). It also does not agree with the superego which appears to be in a higher level of command. It is diverse situations objects or approve a person activity with regard to the consideration of time and place.  

According to Freud, the ego does not determine behavior. Instead it only allows the desires of the id at the opportune moment. It can, therefore, be used in psychotherapy to observe whether the personality of a human being is affected when they continuously do certain things in inappropriate times and places (Sletvold, 2013). If they did, the perspective of the ego could be used to depict that there is a malfunction of the component of personality that makes the id directs the individual t as opposed to personality.

The Superego 

It is the component of personality that could be said to hold every moral issue that a human being has ever held dear to them. The component includes every moral issue that has ever been taught to a human being by their parents, issues they came across as they grew up and also the settings of the society. Freud’s theory proposed that the superego is responsible for making judgments. It does not just emerge at birth, however. It appears at around he the age of five. The Superego component sets the standards for good behaviors and seems to contain the other components to act in the manner that it deems as good behaviors as set by the rules (McLeod, 2016). It also reminds the other components that not acting morally leads to punishment guilt and remorse. It is the art of the human personality that acts as perfect and as the standard of behavior.

Psychoanalysis using the approach that is set by Freud is, therefore, the analysis of the personality that is lastly elicited by the human being as a result of the interactions between the three components. Freud presents the three elements as those that are always diverted in opinions and disagreement. The personality that a person showcase is therefore determined by which component of the human personality that wins. In many instances, however, the superego wins over the other personalities and conditions them to follow its dictates regarding moral behavior. Most human personalities that are showcased are therefore simple manifestations of the superego.

References

Lapsley, D. K., & Stey, P. C. (2011). Id, Ego, and Superego. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 2nd Edition. Ramachandran VS (ed): Elsevier, 1-9.

McLeod, S. A. (2016). Id, ego and superego. Retrieved from www. simply psychology. org/psyche. html.

Sletvold, J. (2013). The ego and the id revisited Freud and Damasio on the body ego/self. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 94(5), 1019-1032.