A brief introduction to Freud s theory of personality structure

Freud divided the personality structure into three levels: id, ego, and superego.

1. Personality structure.

1.The self. The ego is the most primitive part of the personality structure and has existed since birth.

The components that make up the id are the basic human needs, such as hunger, thirst, sex, etc., which are strong primitive impulses. When the ego's needs arise, the individual demands immediate satisfaction, regardless of the constraints of reality. Therefore, it is the pleasure principle that governs the self.

2.Self. The ego is located in the middle layer of the personality structure, which is the result of the individual's differentiation and development from the self after birth.

The various needs that come from the self are generally not immediately satisfied in reality, so it is necessary to conform to reality and learn how to be satisfied in reality, so it is the principle of reality that governs the self. In addition, the ego is between the id and the superego, and has the function of buffering and regulating the id and the superego.

As children grow older, they continue to expand their contacts with the outside world, and gradually learn that they cannot do what they want completely on impulse, but must consider the consequences and consider the role of reality, which is the self. The ego follows the principle of reality, and its function is to find ways to satisfy the instinctual needs of reality. Therefore, it is the principle of reality that governs the self.

For example, when a child is practicing walking, he is able to suppress the urge to walk casually and consider where to avoid collisions, which is the effect of self-control. Freud likened the relationship between the ego and the id to that of a knight and a horse, with the horse providing the power of movement and the knight having the right to determine direction and direct the horse.

3.Superego. The superego is the highest part of the personality structure, which is gradually formed as a result of the individual's upbringing of socio-cultural moral norms in life.

The superego has two important parts: one is the ego, that is, the standard of one's own ideals; The second is conscience, which is the restriction that stipulates that one's behavior is free from making mistakes. Thus, the superego is the moral part of the personality structure, and it is the moral principles that govern the superego.

In life, not all solutions that can meet the needs of the self can be accepted by society. When a hungry child steals a piece of pancake, he is morally condemned. Morality is the superego that tells the child what to do.

With the help of moral mind, children know what is good and what is bad, and they develop feelings of shame and guilt after doing something that is immoral. Another component of the superego is the ego ideal, which is made up of positive ambitions, ideals, and wants the individual to strive for.

Freud's theory of personality structure includes three levels: id, ego, and superego.

1.Id: Located at the bottom of the personality structure, it is an energy system composed of innate instincts and desires, including various physiological needs. The ego is unconscious, irrational, non-social, and chaotic.

2.Ego: Located in the middle layer of the personality structure, it gradually differentiates from the id, and its role is mainly to regulate the contradiction between the id and the superego.

3.Superego: At the top of the personality structure, the moralized self that has been differentiated from the ego and is at the top of the personality. It has three functions: one is to suppress the impulse of the self, the second is to monitor the self, and the third is to pursue the state of perfection.

Freud believed that these three levels interact with each other and condition each other to form a person's personality.

Freud divided the personality structure into three levels: id, ego, and superego.

1) Id: Follow the principle of happiness. The id, which contains basic internal drives and reflexes, is in the "subconscious" state, which is located at the lowest level of the personality structure, and is an energy system composed of innate instincts, desires, and various physiological needs.

This personality can actually be understood as a "collection of desires", and can do whatever it takes to satisfy one's desires.

2) Self. Follow the principles of reality. The ego is a gradual differentiation from the id, located in the middle layer of the personality structure.

Its function is mainly to regulate the contradiction between the id and the superego. The ego is permanent, the superego and the id are almost permanently opposed, and the ego needs to be regulated in order to reconcile the contradiction between the id and the superego. When an individual is under too much pressure from the id, superego, and the outside world and becomes anxious, the ego activates a defense mechanism.

The defense mechanisms are: repression, denial, counteracting, projection, sublimation, etc. This personality is actually the real personality in real life.

3) Superego: Follow moral principles. The superego represents the ideal part of the personality structure, which is formed by the individual in the process of growing up by internalizing moral norms and internalizing the values of the social and cultural environment, and its function is mainly to supervise, criticize and control one's own behavior.

I often use a sentence to say that he is the "white painting" of every personality, with a high sense of moral responsibility.

Freud believed that the personality structure consists of three parts: id, ego, and superego.

The id, or the original self, refers to the primordial self and contains the basic desires, impulses, and life force necessary for survival. The ego is the source of all psychological energy, the ego acts according to the principle of happiness, it ignores social morality, external norms of behavior, its only requirement is to obtain happiness and avoid pain, the goal of the ego is to seek individual comfort, survival and reproduction, it is unconscious, not perceived by the individual.

The self, which means "self" in German, is the part of the self that is conscious of the execution of thoughts, feelings, judgments or memories, and the function of the self is to seek the satisfaction of the impulses of the "id" while protecting the whole organism from harm, and it follows the "principle of reality" in the service of the id.

The superego is the ideal part of the personality structure, it is formed by the individual in the process of growing up by internalizing moral norms and internalizing the values of the social and cultural environment, and its function is mainly to supervise, criticize and control its own behavior, the superego is characterized by the pursuit of perfection, so it is the same as the id, most of the superego is also unconscious, the superego requires the self to meet the id in a socially acceptable way, and it follows the "moral principle".