What are the ego, superego, and id?

Introduction

The ego, superego, and id are terms used by the father of psychoanalysis, Austrian Sigmund Freud, to describe the three components in the structural model of personality. He developed and wrote about this model in his classic work Das Ich und das Es (1923; The Ego and the Id, 1926).

Prior to the structural model, Freud’s focus was on understanding and differentiating conscious and unconscious processes. He came to realize that an additional model was needed to further elucidate the working of the mind and to describe the special functions that parts of the mind utilize. The structural model is not a replacement for his topographical model (unconscious and conscious), but rather it complements his previous work.

Freud’s structural model proposes that the personality has a definite structure, with three interacting components called the id, ego, and superego. The id is present from birth and is essentially a psychical representation of instincts or passions. The ego represents reason and thoughtful deliberation, while the superego represents the morals of society and ideal aspirations. These components are hypothetical and are not located in a specific region of the brain. Since Freud’s initial background and work were biologically based, this represented a major shift toward a more psychological understanding of human behavior.

Id

The id is present at birth, is totally unconscious, and contains everything inherited at birth, especially the innate instincts or impulses. The purpose of the id is to satisfy one’s innate urges. Freud theorized that the id operates according to the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of wishes and a reduction of pain and tension. Since the id is infantile and primitive by nature, it attempts to satisfy its desires by what Freud termed primary process. This means that the id is illogical, asocial, impulsive, and demanding. Primary process means that there is action or discharge without thought or delay. There is no consideration of reality or the needs of others.

The id is instinctual and the source of all energy and passions. Freud proposed two classes of instincts: the sexual instincts, or eros, and the destructive instincts, or thanatos. Eros includes humans’ drives for self-preservation and the preservation of the species through sexuality. These instincts are life affirming, seeking development and renewal. In direct contrast, thanatos opposes life and seeks to bring about death and destruction. Freud viewed the death instinct (thanatos) as a desire to return to an earlier, inorganic state with an absence of undesired stimulation. Both classes of instincts can be directed inward toward the self or outward toward others. Eros and thanatos are typically fused (combined) together, thus modifying the potential destructiveness of thanatos.

Ego

The ego, according to Freud, is the component of the mind that is able to adapt to the demands of the external environment. The ego develops from the id and learns about the external world through the senses. As the child interacts with the world, the ego gains important perceptual and cognitive abilities.

Freud proposed that the ego operates according to the reality principle, replacing the id’s uninhibited search for gratification with thoughts and behaviors that take into account the conditions of real life and the needs of others. The ego uses a secondary process, a higher level of mental functioning, including intelligent reasoning and problem-solving skills, to mediate between the demands of the id, superego, and external reality. The ego therefore functions as the executive component of personality structure. The ego exercises delay and restraint in meeting the unrealistic demands of the id’s impulses. It considers how pleasure can be obtained without bringing harm to the self or others.

The metaphor of a horse and rider was used by Freud to describe the relationship between the ego and the id. The horse represents the power and strength of the id, while the rider (ego) attempts to guide the horse in an appropriate direction.

After Freud’s death, his daughter Anna and others focused their study on ego functioning in the personality. Ego psychology is a term used to describe the study of the ego and its role in adaptation and development.

Superego

Freud used the term superego, commonly referred to as conscience, to describe the third component of personality structure. The conscience is formed by the moral influences of parents and society, including rules and standards of conduct. It serves as the judge of what is right and wrong and can be quite harsh and perfectionistic.

The superego develops as children identify with parents and authority figures. Freud believed that the superego forms by an introjection (a process of taking inside or incorporating) of the values of the parents. It is interesting to note that this concept served as precursor to object relations theorists, who pay close attention to relationships between internal objects and external relationships. The superego, as an internal object, takes over the initial role of the parents by giving the ego orders, judging, and threatening it with punishments. Guilt feelings result when behavior does not live up to the expectations of the superego.

Integration of Id, Ego, and Superego

Freud theorized there would always be some conflict between the urges of the id, the morality of the superego, and the pressures of reality. The ego, as mediator, strives to fulfill the id impulses in a reasonable way while conforming to the superego’s moral standards. Impulsive, reckless behavior results when the id is too dominant, whereas a dominant superego leads to a loss of normal pleasure as impulses are too restricted.

Bibliography

Brenner, Charles. An Elementary Textbook of Psychoanalysis. Rev. ed. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.

Diamond, Michael J., and Christopher Christian. The Second Century of Psychoanalysis: Evolving Perspectives on Therapeutic Action. London: Karnac, 2011. Print.

Elisha, Perrin. The Conscious Body: A Psychoanalytic Exploration of the Body in Therapy. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2011. Print.

Freud, Sigmund. The Ego and the Id. LaVergne: Pacific, 2011. Print.

Gay, Peter. Freud: A Life for Our Time. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.

Greenberg, Jay R., and Stephen A. Mitchell. Object Relations in Psychoanalytic Theory. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2003. Print.

Webster, Jamieson. The Life and Death of Psychoanalysis: On Unconscious Desire and Its Sublimation. London: Karmac, 2011. Print.