Jan 8, 2024 9 min read

e-go where you go?

'Iceberg' - created by Seth Hunter & some very clever AI for buddi bench™

This WWOW! (Weekly Words Of Wisdom!) is a little more academic than most of my musings. Still, variety is good huh? I hope you find this post as helpful as I've found it fascinating to research & the concepts have proved surprisingly soothing to my soul.

I focus on Freud's understanding of how our minds work, consider Jung's take on these ideas & examine in some detail the ideas around Ego, Id & Super-Ego. These ideas are sometimes contested & I do not mean to present them as 'facts'. Yet I find that keeping on open mind with an attitude of curiosity a useful way to approach life in general but particularly 'the big thinkers'.

Sigmund Freud, the renowned psychoanalyst, proposed theories about the structure of the human mind, specifically the Ego, Id, & Super-Ego.

The iceberg metaphor is not explicitly used by Sigmund Freud to explain the concepts of the Ego, Id, & Super-Ego but it is helpful. Freud's model of the mind consists of three main components: the conscious mind, the preconscious mind, & the unconscious mind.

Conscious Mind:

This is the part of the mind that contains thoughts & feelings of which we are currently aware. It represents the tip of the iceberg that is visible above the water.

Preconscious Mind:

This is the area just below the surface, representing thoughts & feelings that are not currently in conscious awareness but can be brought to consciousness with relative ease. It includes memories & information that are not immediately available but can be retrieved.

Unconscious Mind:

This is the largest part of the mind, lying beneath the surface of awareness. It contains thoughts, memories, & desires that are not readily accessible to conscious awareness. Freud believed that the unconscious mind greatly influences behaviour & is the storehouse for repressed memories & unresolved conflicts.

While the iceberg metaphor itself doesn't explicitly delineate the Ego, Id, & Super-Ego, Freud's structural model of the mind does involve these three components:

Id:

The Id operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic instincts & desires. It is consIdered the most primitive part of the mind & is largely unconscious.

Ego:

The Ego operates on the reality principle & seeks to balance the demands of the Id with the constraints of the external world. It functions in both the conscious & unconscious mind, helping indivIduals make decisions & navigate reality.

Super-Ego:

The Super-Ego represents the internalised societal & parental values, acting as a moral guIde or conscience. It strives for perfection & often conflicts with the Id. The Super-Ego operates at the conscious, preconscious, & unconscious levels.

Let's consider the Ego, Id & Super-Ego in turn:

Ego:

'The Ego is the conscious mind's attempt to mediate between the Id's impulsive desires & the Super-Ego's moral standards.' - Sigmund Freud

The Ego is the conscious part of the mind that develops as a result of interacting with the external world. It serves as the mediator between the Id & external reality. It's main function is to balance the indivIdual's desires & instincts with societal demands & norms. The Ego operates on the reality principle, seeking to satisfy the Id's desires in a realistic & socially acceptable way.

The Ego is the 'I' of the individual. It is your conscious thinking mind that you identify with & it has a tough job. It has to serve three masters. It has the 'shoulds' of the Super-Ego & the impulses of the Id to contend with plus reality.

Id:

'The Id is the primal, instinctual part of our psyche, driven by our primitive desires.' - Sigmund Freud

The Id is the unconscious & instinctual part of the mind. It is present from birth & is driven by the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of basic biological & psychological needs. The Id operates on primal impulses & is governed by the primary processes of thinking, such as fantasy & wish fulfilment. It operates independently of social norms & rational thinking processes.

This part of the mind is all nature & no nurture. You can think of the Id as the animal in you. It's voice is loud. When you are hungry, when you are horny, or any time you are angry the Id is at play. It contains libido, which is the primary instinctual energy.

The Id is not organised according to logic. You can have contradictory impulses existing side by side without cancelling each other out. Take for example, a hungover person who wants to drink & also wants not to move. These impulses contradict each other, but they're coming from the same place. The organising principle of the Id is the pleasure principle. It works by what feels good, what society thinks doesn't really matter. Reality doesn't matter. The Id is about desire & pleasure. Everything else is irrelevant.

We might think of the powerful impulses which overwhelm us as the devil on our shoulder. It's difficult to have sympathy for the devil & so this way of thinking may not serve us well. Treating the Id as you might do a child is a helpful way of relating to this part of our psyche. When a child throws a temper tantrum in the sweets & confection aisle, we don't consider the child evil. We may think they don't know better. That is a helpful attitude to cultivate towards the Id. It's not trying to derail you & it's not scheming against you. The Id is pure nature burning inside of you. There's a furnace of desire. Those desires may not align with the agenda of the Super-Ego or reality, but that's not the concern of the Id. The tantrum throwing child isn't evil. But that's not to say you should indulge in them. It means their inability to control their desire is understandable.

The Id is like the wild horse within us, requiring guIdance & discipline to prevent chaos. Growth involves recognising the Id's desires, acknowledging them, & finding healthy ways to satisfy them.The Id represents our basic human needs & desires. Ignoring it completely may lead to repression & inner turmoil. The Id is a reminder that sometimes we must delve deep into our instincts to rediscover our raw potential. Embracing the Id's energy can fuel creativity & passion, but it must be balanced by reason & morality.

Super-Ego:

'The Super-Ego represents our internalised moral compass, influenced by societal norms & parental guIdance.' - Sigmund Freud

The Super-Ego is the moral & ethical component of the mind, representing internalised societal values, ideals, & parental influences. It develops during childhood through identification with parental figures. The Super-Ego operates based on the perfection principle, striving for perfection & enforcing moral standards & societal rules. It can also generate feelings of guilt when the indivIdual deviates from these standards.

Freud proposed that these three distinct parts of the mind interact dynamically, often in conflict with each other. Their interplay shapes an individual's thoughts, behaviours, & decisions. The Ego acts as a moderator, attempting to find a balance between the desires of the id & the moral standards of the Super-Ego.

The Super-Ego is 'I should'. The Super-Ego is the counterbalance to the Id in the psyche. It has two parts, the conscience & the Ego ideal. The conscience is the integrated 'should' & the moral code internalised from our parents & society.

If we fail to adhere to this moral code, the super Ego punishes us with feelings of guilt & shame. When the Id says, I don't want to go to do my homework, the Super-Ego says, you must finish your school work & not only that, but you must tidy your room too.

The second aspect of the Super-Ego is the Ego ideal. This is the inner vision of your best self. Aligning with your Ego ideal leads to feelings of pride, value & accomplishment. The Super-Ego is not concerned with instant gratification like the Id. This part of the mind turns on long-term thinking. Everything it does is an attempt to align you with your ideal self & to steer you away from bad behaviours. It's always trying to move you towards what you should be. You can think of the Super-Ego as the angel on your shoulder.

What is Jung’s view of this Freudian view of our minds?

Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist & founder of analytical psychology, had a complex relationship with Freud's psychoanalytic theory. While he initially collaborated closely with Freud & consIdered him a mentor, Jung eventually developed divergent views & theories of his own.

One significant difference between Jung & Freud is their understanding of the unconscious mind. While Freud believed that the unconscious is primarily driven by repressed sexual & aggressive instincts, Jung proposed a broader concept of the unconscious. He suggested that the unconscious also contains collective & transpersonal aspects, such as archetypes & a collective unconscious shared among humanity.

Moreover, Jung diverged from Freud in his understanding of the role of the Ego. Freud viewed the Ego as a mediator between the Id (instinctual drives) & the Super-Ego (internalised societal norms). In contrast, Jung emphasised the Ego's role in integrating & balancing the conscious & unconscious aspects of the psyche.

Furthermore, Jung introduced the concept of individuation, a process of self-realisation & integration of the various psychological elements. He focused on personal growth & the search for meaning & purpose in life, whereas Freud placed more emphasis on the resolution of unconscious conflicts.

Jung greatly respected Freud's contributions to psychology but developed his own distinct theories, which expanded beyond Freud's focus on sexuality & emphasised the significance of the collective unconscious & the process of individuation.

Now back to the Ego, Id & Super-Ego.

Balancing the Super-Ego's expectations with self-compassion is essential for maintaining mental well-being. The Super-Ego's internalised rules can guide us towards ethical behaviour, but it's important to question & challenge them when necessary. The voice of the Super-Ego reminds us to consider the greater good & act in accordance with our values. The Super-Ego can lead us to make choices that are in line with our principles, even when they are difficult.

These are the three parts of your mind. According to Freud, the Id tells you what you want. The Super-Ego tells you what you should do & your Ego makes the final call. The happiest days are when your Ego & Id are in alignment with reality & everything moves swimming, as we all know, such days are rare. The journey in life is learning to find the biting point where everyone at the table leaves content.

Id is an engine of desires, impulses, & drives. It's pleasure seeking. It's unresponsive to demands of reality & social mores. We find that contrarian impulses can exist side by side in the it. It's selfish & wilful. It's characterised by strong emotions & by short-term thinking & seeking of instant gratification. It is the inner child/devil on your shoulder. It is governed by the pleasure principle & finally, it is the home of libIdo. The mechanism of the Id is desire & temptation. If you want it badly enough, you will likely do it. The Id is 'I' want.

The conflict between Id & super-ego can lead the Ego round in a loop. Sometimes the Id & reality tug one way & Super-Ego tugs the other way. Sometimes reality sides with the Super-Ego, but the Id is determined to go in the opposite direction. The Ego is the balancer. Ideally, it is the judging faculty evaluating which course to take. Sometimes it's just the slave to the loudest voice, be it Id or Super-Ego. Some argue that consciousness itself was born out of this conflict of interest. The Id in you bubbles up with impulses & the Super-Ego tries to tug you the other way. Out of this conflict, the Ego arises. The Ego's job is to adjudicate between the many demands & the psyche & the world. The Ego casts the decIding vote.

The Ego is both our ally & our adversary, capable of transforming our ambitions into achievements or our fears into self-sabotage. An inflated Ego blinds us to our own flaws, while a deflated Ego robs us of confidence. Finding balance is key. Life is a dance between the Ego's desires & the acceptance that sometimes we must let go for the greater good. The Ego thrives on control, but true growth emerges when we surrender & embrace the unknown. The Ego can be a master storyteller, creating narratives that either empower or limit our perception of ourselves & the world.

The Ego is like a filter, allowing us to navigate the external world while managing our internal conflicts. The Ego constantly seeks validation, but true fulfilment lies in aligning our actions with our authentic selves. A healthy Ego is essential for maintaining a strong sense of self-worth & resilience in the face of challenges.The Ego's greatest challenge is finding a balance between satisfying our own needs & considering the needs of others.