Freud's Theory of Personality

Sigmund Freud's structural theory of personality argues suggests that human behaviour is a result of the interactions between three components of the mind: The id, ego, and superego structures; and that the conflict between these three structures determines our behaviour and approach to the world.

Freud theorised that humans are born with a primitive yet unconscious instinct that requires gratification of only the basic physical human needs and desires, this is known as the Id. Though as we grow older we begin to develop morals, as a child learns in society what is right and wrong, this 'moral compass' that humans develop is known as the superego structure. The third and final structure in Freud's theory is known as the ego; in contrast to the other structures, the ego is a conscious part of your mind, and is the rational part of your personality. Freud considered the ego to be the compromising component between the two unconscious structures, with a sole purpose of balancing the demands of the id and superego in order to develop a rational solution to each situation.

The Id: The id acts as our unconscious and is where we get all of our "instincts" from. The id also contains a "pleasure principle", where we have this need to fulfil all of our desires, whether they be sexual or primal. If we do not fulfil these needs, the result can cause us tension.

The Ego: The ego is where our conscious lies, and this is the part of our brain which deals with reality. Essentially, the ego takes into consideration what the id wants, and will act upon it in the most socially acceptable way.

The Superego: This idea of social acceptance is where the superego comes into play, as it represents our morals and our sense of "right and wrong". There are two different components to the superego, which are: the ego ideal, which are the ideas of "good behavior" that have been instilled in us by our parents or guardians; and the conscious, which are the ideas that our parents or guardians tell us are bad and we shouldn't do. This is the part of our brain that makes us realize that if we do bad things, we will be punished and there will be consequences to our actions.