In Psychology, it is believed that our personality is made up of three elements or principles. These three elements together form the complex human behaviour. The three elements are :
1. Id
2. Ego
3. Superego
These three elements were proposed by Sigmund Freud in his ‘Psychoanalytic theory of Personality’. According to him, a balanced and healthy personality would have a balance of Id, Ego and Superego.
1. The Id: Id is present since birth. It functions on ‘Pleasure principle’ and demands immediate fulfillment of needs and wants. Id is very important during the early years of life as it ensures that an infant’s needs are immediately met or he/she would cry until the demands are met. Id is our instinct. Id can be seen in grown up human beings also. A grown up student who primarily functions in Id principle may decide to go to sleep or watch a movie, when it is to be decided between studies [when one has not studied anything] for an exam the next day.
2. The Ego: Ego functions on ‘Reality principle’. It deals with reality. It ensures the impulses of Id are expressed in a manner which is acceptable in the real world. The ego weighs costs and benefits before deciding on an action. It has to decide between
the demands of the Id and control of the Superego.3. The Superego: Superego is the moral part of personality. It’s a product of Socialisation. It holds all the internalized moral standards and ideals acquired from parents and society. Superego is the sense of right and wrong. It provides guidelines for judgements. It includes rules and standards for good/standard behaviour which approved by parents and other authoritative figures of Society. When someone obeys these rules, it leads to feelings of pride, accomplishment and value. If a student has strong presence of superego in his/her personality, he/she would decide to study for the next day’s exam and abandon sleep or movie.
The superego acts to civilize and perfect our behaviour. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the Id and struggles to make the Ego act upon idealistic standards rather than realistic principles.
Reference: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/personalityelem.htm
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