Id. Ego. Superego. And thoughts on Personality.

September 1, 2019

With every new life experience, I find myself asking why a lot more often. What is the reason behind this action or this response that I have had in a certain situation. Why was a drawn to this person? Why does this result in feelings of anxiety? The list goes on. You get it.

Learning why we are the way we are is a lifelong process. The more I learn, the more I want to know.

Our personalities are shaped by all life experiences, from the moment we leave our Mother’s womb. The way we show up in life – as an individual, as a friend, as a son/daughter, a friend, a parent…is shaped by our past experiences and responses. The first step in changing, is gaining an awareness of what we want to change, and why we got there in the first place.

Dive in friends.

So let’s talk about the Id, Ego, and Superego. Familiar?

They are three separate but interacting parts of the brain that our experiences are filtered through, specifically early childhood experiences. The ways in which we consciously and unconsciously process these experiences is what shapes our adult personality. This is one of many theories about personality, and this one in particular is the foundation of psychoanalytic therapy. So what does it even mean?

The Id – Instinct. Primitive. Pleasure. The need for instant gratification. If our instinctual needs, our id, is not met, it creates tension. Think of infants. Infants are driven by the id, with their only concern being meeting their own needs. Our id remains infantile throughout life, and can be illogical, selfish, and motivated by pleasure.

Our Ego – Reality. Ego keeps the Id in check, acknowledging the primitive needs of the id, but deals with reality and reigns in our impulses. The ego is interested in seeking pleasure, but unlike id, seeks to do so in realistic and socially acceptable ways. This can look like delayed gratification, or meeting the desires of the id but at an appropriate time and place or situation.

Last but not least, the Superego – Our internal moral compass, and is both conscious and subconscious. It is responsible for feelings of guilt when one doesn’t something one should not do. And it is also responsible for the personal rules of standards that we believe we should adhere to. If those standards are too high, then we experience more feelings of guilt and failure. Whereas meeting those standards leads to feelings of value and accomplishment.

So what does this mean and why should I care? Well, I’m to going to sit here and tell you that you should care. We are all adults that are fully capable of choosing what we pay attention to and what we do not. But if any of this sounds intriguing, read on.

The id, ego, and superego concept is important for understanding personality development and this theory from Sigmund Freud has been highly influential in psychology for decades. Is this scientific? Not necessarily. But his concepts and theories continue to be the foundation of psychoanalysis today.

A “healthy” personality is all about balance ya’ll. Lack of balance between the 3 = challenges in life.

These challenges will depend on which more dominant.

When the id is more dominant, one might encounter challenges adhering to societal norms, acting on impulse. What does this look like? To name a few…legal troubles, financial issues, difficulty maintaining relationships, promiscuity, etc.

Ok, ego is steering the ship. Now what? A dominant ego is that individual that is so concerned with the norms and rules of society, that they become inflexible. This means difficulty or complete inability to adapt to change.

So what about a dominant superego? This can present as rigidity with morals and a judgmental attitude towards others that are not meeting those morals and standards. A person with a dominant superego is likely unable to accept anything or anyone that is perceived as “bad” or “immoral.”

Is this theory universal? No. Does this theory explain all aspects of human personality and how it evolves from infancy to adulthood? Absolutely not. Is it interesting? I think so. But maybe that’s the nerd in me.

The basis of psychoanalysis and applying this theory in therapy…called psychodynamic therapy… is to release repressed emotions and experiences. Goal = making the unconscious conscious. Throughout life, we develop defense mechanisms that keep us “safe” aka continue to repress the unconscious.

By diving deeper into emotions, thoughts, beliefs, fears, and early life experiences, we can begin to recognize patterns and defense mechanisms (denial, repression, projection, sublimation, etc) that play a key role in our life and the relationships that we have developed.

Behavior is influenced by unconscious thought. Once our unconscious vulnerable or painful feelings are brought to the surface, we can start to decrease or resolve our defense mechanisms. Aka…one step closer to living our truth.

Easier said than done.

Thoughts?