Balancing the Id and Superego

Freud classifies the psyche into three factions, the Id, the Superego and the Ego. The Id is the most inherent and least accessible of these three sections, symbolizing our drive and passion. If it existed unchecked, the Id would constantly seek selfish pleasures as a destructive force in society. An individual’s Id leads him to defy the rules of the social realm. The Superego exists paradoxically inhibiting the desires of the Id and adhering to the rules of society. The Superego advocates for the functionality of society. The Superego and the Id present contradictory desires; it is the goal of the Ego to rationalize these desires.

The Ego, the conscious part of the mind, is representative of rationality and logic. The Ego locates the fragile balance between the Id and the Superego. It allows for the expression of some of an individual’s desires while suppressing those that are the most harmful.

Although the suppression of these desires can be potentially harmful, the abundance of desires in the Id makes it impossible to be completely controlled by the Ego. The Id is never satisfied. The Ego must disregard some of an individual’s desires because they are simply unachievable. Freud uses the example of a son’s desire for his mother. His relationship with his mother is the first relationship from which he derives pleasure. This is a want that cannot be satisfied and must be suppressed. The suppression of this desire is harmful without the acknowledgement of the reason behind it. When an individual can recognize why the wants of the Id can be potentially harmful, he can rationally suppress them rather than letting them develop into traumas that can manifests in unrecognizable ways.

An individual should strive to recognize and rationalize his desires through his Ego. The Id and its irrational desires are ever-present; the fulfillment of one desire does not satisfy the Id but only presents a vacancy for a new desire to manifest. While adhering to the wishes of the Superego may often seem the most logical as a contrast, this would only lead to a 1984-esque dystopia. The Superego promotes the wants of the public realm without attention to an individual’s happiness. An individual’s Id is what makes him unique and must not be restrained without recognition. Even if a desire is unachievable it should be acknowledged. The irrational desires of the Id are fundamental to an individual.

An individual must monitor both his Superego and his Id. Neither of these are positive when left unchecked, the Superego would confine an individual to the rules of society while the Id is illogical and constantly unfulfilled. The Ego must rationally analyze both intents, acknowledging that they both simply desire to be satisfied in their own context. The Ego must choose which of the Superego’s objectives are necessities and which are simply conformist. It also must regulate the Id’s desires, deciding the ones that can be satisfied and rationally recognizing why others cannot. This recognition will prohibit the potentially harmful repression of these desires.