Freud's Theory of the Self

What is Freud's Theory of the Self?

Freud's Theory of the Self is a theory that attempts to explain the internal working of the human mind. It divides an individual's personality into three aspects of the self. These are the Id, the Superego, and the Ego. (McLeod, 2019)

Id

The Id makes up the primal urges, impulses and desires a person has, often demonstrated with the example of babies and infants and children who act based on immediate desires like hunger, sleep and attention (McLeod, 2019). This is because these kinds of basic urges are what motivate the Id, expressing itself in adults as feelings of desire for food, sleep, sex, aggression ect (McLeod, 2019). This also extends to simply acting based on what you want to do without concern for the consequences.

Superego

Conversely, there is the Superego, which is essentially the opposite of the Id. The superego is the part of a person's psyche that is concerned about moral values and the social and moral consequences of their actions. Freud thought that this was informed by role models when growing up such as parents/caregivers and other adult role models from a person's childhood, who typically educate children and young people on what is right and wrong as well as social expectations like being polite to others (Freud Museum London, 2018). The Superego also embodies compromise and reason.

Ego

The Ego is the conscious, decision making part of the self and is the convergence of the influences of the Id and Superego. So the Ego is the part of your mind that is ultimately in charge of your actions. The Ego's job is to make decisions pragmatically 'according to the reality principle, working out realistic ways of satisfying the id's demands' under the guidance of the socially informed Superego (McLeod, 2019).

Bibliography:

• Mcleod, S., 2019. Id, Ego, and Superego | Simply Psychology. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: <https://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html> [Accessed 9 December 2021].
• Freud Museum London. 2018. What is Psychoanalysis? - The Ego, the Id and the Superego - Freud Museum London. [online] Available at: <https://www.freud.org.uk/education/resources/what-is-psychoanalysis-part-4-the-ego-the-id-and-the-superego/> [Accessed 9 December 2021].