The Id, The Ego, & The Superego: Freud & The Structure Of Personality. by Arsene Hodali
Although a lot of people know about what I'm going to talk about, the majority of you don't. So I'm going to talk about one of the most basic understandings of personality there is around (and a foundation for behavioural psychology). While at the same time taking you back to my own psychology class (ahh, memories). I'm going to look at how Freud viewed personality.

According to Freud most behaviour involves activity of three main systems (at the same time):
    * the id,
    * the ego,
    * and the superego.
The Id
The id is made up of innate biological instincts and urges. It is self-serving, irrational, impulsive, and totally unconscious. The id operates on the pleasure principle (a desire for immediate satisfaction of wishes, desires, and/or needs).

    That is, it seeks to freely express pleasure-seeking urges of all kinds.

If we were solely under control of the id, the world would be chaotic beyond belief.

The id acts as a well of energy for the entire psyche, or personality. This energy, called libido, flows from the life instincts (Eros). According to Freud, libido underlies our efforts to survive, as well as our sexual desire and pleasure seeking. Freud also described a death instinct. Thanatos, as he called it, produces aggressive and destructive urges. Freud offered humanity's long history of wars and violence as evidence of such urges. Most id energies, then, are aimed at discharging tensions related to sex and aggression.
The Ego
The ego is sometimes described as the executive, because it directs energies supplied by the id. The id is like a tyrannical king or queen whose power is awesome but who must rely on others to carry out orders. The id can only form mental images of things it desires. The ego wins power to direct behavior by relating the desires of the id to external reality. The ego is guided by the reality principle.

    That is, it delays action until it is practical or appropriate.

The ego is the system of thinking, planning, problem solving, and deciding. It is in conscious control of the personality.
The Superego
The superego acts as a judge or censor for the thoughts and actions of the ego. One part of the superego, called the conscience (maybe you've heard of it), reflects actions for which a person has been punished. When standards of the conscience are not met, you are punished internally by guilt feelings.

A second part of the superego is the ego ideal. The ego ideal reflects all behaviour one's parents (or superiors while growing up) approved of or rewarded. The ego ideal is a source of goals and aspirations. When its standards are met, we feel pride.

The superego acts as an internalized parent to bring behaviour under control. A person with a weak superego will be a delinquent, criminal, or anti-social personality. On the other hand, an overly strict or harsh superego may cause inhibition, rigidity, or unbearable guilt.
How Do The Id, Ego, And Superego Interact?
Freud didn't strictly picture the id, ego, and superego as parts of the brain or as little people running the human psyche (not creative enough for that). Instead, they are conflicting mental processes (Freud liked complicating things). Freud theorized a delicate balance of power among the three. For example, the id's demands for immediate pleasure often clash with the superego's moral restrictions. Hmm, perfect time for an example.

    Let's say you're sexually attracted to someone. The id wants immediate satisfaction for its sexual desires, but is opposed by the superego (which finds the very thought of sex shocking). The id says, Go for it, you can so do her/him right now, right here! The superego icily replies, Never fucking think that again, NEVER! And what does the ego say? The ego says, I have a plan! .

Although I've drastically simplified the situation, it captures the core of Freudian thinking perfectly. To reduce tension, the ego could begin actions leading to friendship, romance, courtship, and marriage. If the id is unusually powerful, the ego may give in and attempt a seduction. If the superego prevails, the ego may be forced to displace or subliminate sexual energies to other activities; sports, music, dancing, push-ups, cold showers, and (what we're all thinking of) masturbation. And, according to Freud, much of this activity occurs at the unconscious level
Is The Ego Always Caught In The Middle?
Basically yes, and the pressures on it can be intense! In addition to meeting the conflicting demands of the id and superego, the overworked ego must deal with external reality.

According to Freud, you feel anxiety when your ego is threatened or overwhelmed. Impulses from the id cause neurotic anxiety when the ego can barely keep them under control. And, threats of punishment from the superego cause moral anxiety (guilt).

Each person develops habitual ways of calming these anxieties, and many resort to using ego-defense mechanisms to lessen internal conflicts. Defense mechanisms are mental processes that deny, distort, or otherwise block out sources of threat and anxiety. The ego defense mechanisms that Freud indentified are used as a form of protection against stress, anxiety, and threatening events. In addition, Freud argued that it is the repressed unconcious thoughts, wishes, and feelings that can potentially cause maladaptive behaviours or mental disorders.