The Ego And The ID
...called by us repression" (p. 4). It is by the theory of repression that the concept of the unconscious is obtained. The unconscious is the largest part of the mind. All the things that are not easily available to awareness are part of the unconscious. This includes the many things that have their origins there, such as our drives or instinct. The unconscious also includes the things that are put there because we can't bear to look at them, things such as memories and emotions associated with trauma for example. The unconscious is the source of motivations, whether it is simple desires for food or sex, or the motives of becoming a doctor or lawyer. These motives are available to us. However, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of the motives which are in a disguised form. There is still another part of the mind. Freud (1960) wrote "that we have two kinds of unconsciousness- the which is latent and is capable of becoming conscious, and the one which is repressed and which is not, in itself and without more ado, capable of becoming conscious" (p.5). This part of the mind is called the preconscious. In other words, Freud was saying anything that the preconscious is anything that can easily made conscious. The memories that you are thinking of can easily be brought to the mind. The Ego and the Id 4 The difference between the an unconscious and preconscious thought is that in the unconscious the former thought consist in is carried out on some material unknown, whereas the latest, the preconscious the thought is brought out into connection with word presentations. These word presentations are residues of memories. At one time they were all memories, and they can become conscious again. Where feelings are concerned, the distinction between the conscious and the unconscious has no meaning. The preconscious is no more, and the feelings are either conscious or unconscious. It is the role of the systems of the mind that brings the parts of the mind into existence. The conscious is part of the external world, whereas the unconscious is part of the internal world. According to Freud (1960), "in each individual there is a coherent organization of mental processes; and we call this his ego. It is to this ego that consciousness is attached; the ego controls the approaches to motility-that is discharge of excitations of the external world" (p. 7). The ego is the executive of personality. It controls and governs the id and the superego as well as the external world. The ego relies mostly on the reality principle, which states that one's actual needs exist but the discharge of energy must be postponed until the actual object that will satisfy the need will found. Freud (1960) wrote that "the ego seeks to bring the influence of the external world to bear upon the id and its tendencies, and endeavors to substitute the reality principle which reigns unrestrictedly in the id" (p. 15). The id is the system of personality that is in the unconscious part of the mind that consist of natural instincts, urges, and drives that are repressed. The id is the cause of all activity, though the thoughts are often unconscious. The function of the id is to provide The Ego and the Id 5 for the immediate release of the quantities of excitations that are discharged in the person by internal or external stimulation. Unlike the ego and the superego, the id cannot be changed with time. The id is more in touch with the body and it processes than the external world. The id is not governed by laws of reason of or logic, nor does it possess value or morality. It is driven by one consideration, to obtain satisfaction for instinctual needs in accordance to the pleasure principle. The pleasure principle can be understood as a demand to take care of needs immediately. The ego is part of the id that has been modified by the direct influence of the external world. The ego is not sharply separated from the id but merges into it. According to Freud (1960) "for the ego, perception plays the part in which the id falls to instinct. The ego represents what may be called reason and common sense, in contrast to the id, which contains passion" (p. 15). Connection between the id and ego is the superego. It contains the influences what is learned from other people. Unlike the id, the superego is not present at birth. It is acquired at childhood. ...