Mr. Sigmund Freud saw that a third dimension of consciousness was needed to hold the id and ego in check. He termed it "superego." Unlike the id and the ego, the superego is not present at birth. It develops as a child learns which actions are socially acceptable and which are not. The superego holds society's values and moral attitudes.
The superego includes what we mean by conscience. It tells us right from wrong. A growing child internalizes rules made by parents and other adults. Gradually, this right-wrong response enters a child's own system behavior, independent of its original source.
As Sigmund Freud saw it, the superego does more than distinguish right from wrong. It also compares the ego's view of itself with an ego ideal of perfection. This ego ideal is our view of the sort of person we feel we should strive to become. We base it on our own hopes and on the kind of person others think we should be. The superego combines conscience, that tells us right from wrong, with the ego ideal, that inspires us to make things better for all. Mr. Freud viewed that conflict between the id and the superego is inevitable. A person can deal with the conflict either by directly suppressing unacceptable urges, saying no to them or by hiding them deep inside. Hiding unacceptable urges means repressing full awareness of them by keeping them in the unconscious.
Well, I was just discussing the same ego ideal to a piano student last night, giving more emphasis on balancing factors in life.
Additional knowledge, Mr. Freud.
Wherever you are, many thanks!
Wherever you are, many thanks!
