Freud - Id, Ego and Super-ego

According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements. These three elements of personality -the id, the ego and the superego- work together to create complex human behaviour. According to Freud, the key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.

The Id
it is said that the id is the only component of the personality that's present from birth. this part of  the personality is completely unconscious and possesses the instinctive and primitive behaviours, concerned only with fulfilling pleasure.

The id is driven by the pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants and needs. the result of these needs not being met is tension. An example of this is if we are hungry an immediate reaction is to eat. The id is an important aspect of an infants life, because it ensures that their needs are met. if the child is hungry, thirsty or uncomfortable the infant will cry until these needs are met.

Key word: want

Pleasure Principle 
The pleasure principle strives to fulfil our most basic and primitive urges, including hunger, thirst, anger and sex. When these needs are not met, the result is a state of anxiety or tension. However, immediately stratifying these need is not always realistic. If we were completely ruled by the pleasure principle  we might find ourselves grabbing things we want out of other people's hands to satisfy our own cravings. As this sort of behaviour would be seen and socially unacceptable this is where the superego is introduced.

The Ego
The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality and is based on the reality principle. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The ego functions in both the conscious,preconscious, and unconscious mind. The ego is capable of understanding that desires may vary from person to person, and is willing to make the consideration that ones own desire and actions have effects, whether positive or negative, and tries to balance out thinking before carrying out decisions/actions. 

Key word: balance

Reality Principle
The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses. In many cases, the id's impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed gratification--the ego will eventually allow the behaviour, but only in the appropriate time and place.


The Superego
The last component of personality to develop is the superego. The superego is the aspect of personality based on moral principle, that holds all of our internalised moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society; a sense of right and wrong. The superego is concerned with what other will think, and stands in opposition to the id,  providing guidelines for making judgements. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five and acts to perfect and civilise our behaviour.  It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious.

Key words: morals, compromise

Moral Principle
The moral principle strives to accomplish the rule and standards approved by parental and society authority figures. When these rules are obeyed it leads to feelings of pride, value and accomplishment. however the conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. these behaviours are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments or feelings of guilt and remorse.


The Id, Ego and Superego Working Together
According to Freud, a healthy individual will have developed a strongest ego to keep the id and superego in check. If the id becomes too strong, impulses and desires may become overwhelming - resulting in a selfish, inconsiderate individual. However if the superego is too strong, an individual may feel excessive rigid moral constraints that result in judgemental individuals. Both extremes strain the interpersonal relationship.