The Ego

• Ego evolves from the Id and harnesses some of its energy for its own use and the ego’s goal is to delay the discharge of the Id’s tension. It can help answer the “how” portion of the Id, considers the external world (conscious and unconscious), reality principle, and rationality to behavior.

• Reality principle “…is a theory in psychoanalysis that defines it as representing the demands of the external world and requiring an individual to forgo instinctual demands for gratifications or to postpone it for an appropriate time.” (The source used for the definition of this term is linked here.) https://psychologydictionary.org/reality-principle/

• Secondary process is a term used to describe the matching of an image of a tension-reducing object to a real object.

• Ego (reality principle and secondary processes) is where intellectual processes and problem solving come into development. It forms plans and tests them to see if they are satisfying (reality testing.) The ego is purely pragmatic.

The Superego

• The superego is the moral guide that passes on imperatives regarding appropriate or inappropriate actions and thoughts.

• Introjection is a term used to describe how one “…attempts to access one’s own internal psychological processes directly, perceptions, judgements, or states. (The source used to find the definition of this term is located here.)

• Three actions that the superego acts on are preventing the id’s impulses, forces ego to act morally, and guides a person to perfection in all aspects of mental life.

• The superego has two subsystems which are the ego ideal and the conscious. The ego ideal presents rules for good behavior, standards for excellence, and forms from a parent’s approval of behaviors. The conscious enforces the way that certain behaviors are bad and forms from a parent’s disapproval of undesired behaviors and punishment.

• People have complex energy systems, and it is energy used in psychological work, etc.…also known as mental energy. This energy is discharged through biological processes, also known as drives. Drives are a biological need, and it can be psychologically represented by, for example, being dehydrated and feeling the intense need to drink water. Drives build up until they are released or expressed. Psychic (mental) energy continuously and gradually builds up and people only have so much available at one time for a given task. Id, ego, and superego are all competing for this limited supply of energy.

• Cathexis is a term describing how one invests their energy in an activity or image. The more important and object or image, the more energy is invested.

The Id

• Early in one’s life, Id (first formation) has access to all the energy and when all energy goes to the Id, then the Id is satisfied. But the Id does not differentiate between images and objects. Cathecting an image is as good as cathecting an object, also known as primary process. For example, thinking about eating a sandwich is “as good” as eating one. This does not satisfy the biological need to eat the sandwich. Ego then uses the excess energy because the tension is still there. It matches the image to the actual object, which is called secondary process for example, actually eating the sandwich. Ego forms cathexis with objects and activities associated with satisfying needs but may not directly satisfy needs. For example, looking for a new recipe.