Id, Ego, and Superego: A Personality Perspective
Introduction
According to Freud, there are three different psyche systems: the id, ego, and the superego. They are all characterized by their different roles they play and by their level of consciousness. It is the interaction between these three systems that determine whether or not an individual is going to conduct socially acceptable behavior. When these systems do not properly interact, then there may be an adverse effect when it comes to behavior. The following analyzes the id, the ego, and the superego in relations to a significant personal life event and how each one of the systems contributed to the overall result.
When I was around the age of ten, I was placed in a situation I will never forget. Several of my friends and I were obsessed with the latest video game console. However, due to its expense, none of our parents would buy it for us. We spent over a month thinking and dreaming about the console and how cool it would be if just one of us had one. Our ten year old lives were consumed by our desire for this video game.
One night, one of neighborhood boys found a way that we all could have access to the new video game console. There was just one catch: we had to steal it. One of the neighborhood boy’s cousins just got the video game console and his mother had a spare key to his house. His plan was go inside, steal the videogame system, and get out before anyone realized it. Since we all would be utilizing the gaming system, we all had to help. The following analyzes my mental processes in relation to Freud’s theory of personality and the concept of the id, the ego, and the superego.
Discussion
Id
The id is considered to be driven by pleasure; it strives for immediate gratification when it comes to needs and desires. If the needs of the id are not satisfied, then the individual is left in a state of anxiety or tension. For example, increase in thirst should prompt an immediate desire to drink. The id is especially important when it comes to an infant. It is what is responsible for making sure that an infant’s needs are met. For example, infants will remain crying when he or she is hungry until the demands of the id are satisfied (Segrist, 2009, p. 51).
When I first heard about the plan, my id was instantly interested. This caused my original reaction to be “absolutely” without even thinking about the negative implications of the act. I remember becoming anxious during the planning process because I wanted to the game system so bad. The longer the plan took to create, the more anxious I became. This was due to the fact that my id was not being immediately satisfied.
Ego
According to Freud, the ego is produced by the id in order to ensure that the impulses from the id can be handled in an acceptable manner in the real world. In other words, the ego is based on the reality principles, in which attempts to satisfy the id in the most realistic and socially acceptable ways. The reality principle is responsible for weighing the benefits and the costs of an action before acting upon an impulse. In several cases, the id can be satisfied through the use of delayed gratification. In other words, the ego will eventually allow the behavior but only when the time and place is deemed socially appropriate. Furthermore, the ego attempts to discharge tension that is created by unmet impulse through the secondary process. In the secondary process, the ego attempts to find an object throughout the real world that matches the image created by the id (Segrist, 2009, p. 51).
Once it got time to leave the house and start conducting the plan, my ego started to kick in. While walking to the cousin’s house, I started thinking about all of the negative implications my behavior can have. I thought about how long I would be grounded if my parents found out and I thought about how we were probably only going to be able to play it for one night before we got caught. I also thought about how much more exciting it would be if my parents got me one and how my current behavior may delay the possibility of that happening. My ego was weighing the pros and cons of my behavior, as well as satisfying my id with delayed gratification.
Superego
The superego is the last component of Freud’s theory of personality. The superego produces guidelines when it comes to making judgments. The superego is part of the personality that holds our moral ideals and standards that give us our sense of right and wrong. According to Freud, there are two parts to the superego: the ego ideal and the conscience. The ego ideal consists of standards and rules when it comes to good behaviors. These behaviors consists of behaviors that are approved by authority figures and parents. When an individual obeys these rules, they tend to feel a sense of pride, accomplishment and value. The Conscience, on the other hand, consists of information about things that society views as bad. These behaviors are forbidden throughout society and often lead to negative consequences, such as guilt and punishment. Overall, the superego is use to civilize and perfect our behavior. The superego attempts to suppress unacceptable urges that are produced by the id and makes the ego act in idealistic standards instead of realistic principles (Segrist, 2009, p. 51).
Conclusion
The id, the ego, and the superego were all responsible for my actions that day. My id was what gave me the desire to participate in the activity in the first place, my ego made me second guess the activity, and my superego gave me to strength to go home and not participate in the illegal activity. They presented themselves at different times within a two hour time period. I have realized that this process does not take as long as I have gotten older. Today, that decision would have taken me less than a second to decide whether or not I want to participate in such an activity. It did take all three of the systems in order to come to the result that I did. The id was needed in order for the impulse and desire for the item to kick it. The ego was needed in order to analyze the current situation in relation to the rules and norms of society. Lastly, the superego was needed in order for me to see the reality of the situation and to help me decide to go home instead of participating. Without all three of these systems, I would not have been able to properly analyze the situation and make a socially acceptable decision based on my desire to participate in the given activity. While working simultaneously, these systems helped me come to a socially acceptable decision on my own.
References
Clonginger, S. (2013). Theories of Personality. Upper Saddle River: New Jersey. ‘
Segrist, D. (2009). What’s going on in your professor’s head? Demonstrating the id, ego, and superego. Teaching of Psychology, 36, 51-54.
