We Hear So Much About Ego
We hear so much about the ego in everyday life, let alone if we’re engaged in any field of psychology or therapy. Some suggest we must overcome or release the ego. Others say it’s a critical element of who we are. In reality, it’s unlikely we can delete the ego. However, we can accept it and acknowledge the role it plays in our life. Self-esteem requires that we accept our wholeness, and the ego is just one aspect of that. To what on earth are we referring? What is ego?
The English word ‘ego’ is the Latin word for ‘I.’ The term became more prevalent in psychology through the work of Sigmund Freud. He suggested the human personality is complex and has several components.
Freud's Ego, Id & Superego
In his well-known psychoanalytic theory, Freud states our personality or character is composed of three elements. The id, the ego, and the superego. To be clear, he’s referring to operating modes or systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical.
Freud eluded to the fact that each component adds its unique contribution to personality and, the three interact in ways that have a powerful influence on an individual. His theory suggests each element emerges at different points in life.
For example, certain aspects of your personality are more impulsive and encourage you to act upon your most basic urges. Other parts of your personality counteract these impulses and strive to make you conform to the demands of reality, or perhaps society.
What Is Id?
Freud suggested the id, concerned with our fundamental survival needs, was the only aspect of personality that is entirely unconscious and present from birth.
The id demands immediate gratification. Since the id operates beyond reason or societal rules, it acts out when survival needs are not met. Specifically, a hungry baby will continue to cry until fed.
As we mature, acting on the impulse of the id becomes less socially acceptable, so we develop the ego and superego to bring balance into our behaviour. Freud defined this as ‘the pleasure principle or the impulse to satisfy our needs above anything else. You can appreciate how stealing something you want from someone else might be considered a tad impolite!
He also believed the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind, containing sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories. Freud envisioned the id remaining static throughout life, not changing with time or experience, as it is not in touch with the external world. He imagined the id is not affected by reality, logic or the everyday world, as it operates within the unconscious part of the mind. Â
Consider the id from a more accepting perspective. The id is symbolic and is the source of your dreams, goals and desires. It supports you in finding your purpose and motivation.
What Is Ego?
Freud described the ego as the part of the personality responsible for dealing with reality. Evolving from the id, it operates in the unconscious, pre-conscious and conscious minds. It finds ways to meet the needs of the id in a socially acceptable manner.
One of the approaches may be to delay gratification. Via the ‘reality principle,’ the ego measures the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses. If you find yourself hungry in a meeting, you may envision eating your favourite food rather than rush from the room and saying you cannot go on until you’ve eaten.
It might be reasonable to suggest that the ego operates as the fulcrum or a bridge between the id and the superego. Discovering the balance between the two in a way that feels comfortable for the individual.
The challenge with our ego arrives when we operate out of balance, either prioritising the id and demanding immediate gratification for all our desires or prioritising the superego and stepping into paralysis for fear of inappropriate behaviour.
What Is Superego?
According to Freud, the superego provides guidelines for making judgments and develops around the age of 5 years.
The superego develops as we learn more about the concepts of right and wrong from our parents, family, teachers and friends.
The superego tries to polish or civilise our external behaviour. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and puts pressure on the ego to act upon idealistic standards rather than realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious and consists of ‘the idealist’ and ‘the conscience’.
A key challenge when the superego overpowers other elements of our personality is the need for perfection. We imagine perfect exists and, if our achievements or behaviour do not match our imagination, we start to create stress and anxiety in mind. Even worse, we berate ourselves.
I suggest that social media has a way of activating the superego by allowing us to imagine that others people are observing what we do and in continuous judgement of our behaviour.
Jung's Perception
Jung envisioned the ego as the centre of consciousness that contains our conscious awareness of personal identity. He suggested the ego as the organiser of our thoughts and intuitions, feelings, and sensations, Having access to unrepressed memories. The ego dictates the personality and operates as a door between the inner and outer worlds.
Carl Jung also suggested that archetypes or mini-personalities are also operating in conjunction with our ego and personality. He believed ego arises out of the Self during early development and has a primary function to perceive meaning and assess value. In his mind, the ego promotes survival and makes life worth living. It is a lesser expression of the Self or a part of it.
A Changing Relationship With Control
From a certain perspective one could suggest the modern world drives us out of balance. On one hand, the needs of the id are fuelled by the world of convenience we operate in. We’re encouraged to use credit cards to have what we desire now. There is an increasing number of messages about how we can earn millions by the time we’re 30 years old and set up a business with an instant home run.
Conversely, social media can activate the superego, making us even more aware that others can judge us for the messages we send out. Potentially impacting young people more, and yet few are immune to ‘like’ counting as a measure of our popularity or potential inability to find our tribe.
Whatever the trigger, we have more people operating anxiety and buying into the illusion of how we SHOULD do things than ever before. That in itself is a wonderful incentive to explore deeper within and find balance. The balance that allows us to be who we are in a peaceful and comfortable way.
Final Thoughts
The more time I pass on the planet, I believe we were born in perfect design. With that in mind, I imagine that our ‘opus’ or life’s work is to find out who we are in totality. Once we have some insight, we can learn to drive our entire being to create an enjoyable life. No more, no less.
When it comes to the ego, I perceive it to be an insightful learning tool helping us discover many different aspects of who we are. If we can befriend it and see it as a benevolent force, we can accept it and use it with purpose.
Your perception is for you to decide!
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