Id, Ego, Superego - Understanding An Old School Psychology Concept
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful video, Leo from Actualised.org explores Freud's concepts of the ego, id, and super-ego, offering modern interpretations for personal development. He uses the analogy of a horse carriage to explain these psychological functions and suggests that while the id represents our base desires, the ego mediates between the id and the moralizing super-ego. Leo argues for a reevaluation of these concepts, emphasizing the importance of developing a higher consciousness to guide one's actions towards self-actualization, rather than being torn between the lower and higher selves.
Takeaways
- π The video discusses the concepts of the id, ego, and super-ego from Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory and their relevance to modern personal development.
- π The id is likened to horses pulling a carriage, representing our base, instinctual desires seeking instant gratification and pleasure.
- π€΅ The ego is the rider on the carriage, symbolizing the rational, conscious part of our psyche that plans, strategizes, and mediates between the id and super-ego.
- π΄ The super-ego is compared to an old man in the carriage, representing our conscience, societal influence, and the moralizing aspect of our psyche.
- π Freud's model suggests a dynamic interplay between the id, ego, and super-ego, with the ego mediating between our base desires and our moral ideals.
- π The video critiques Freud's model, suggesting that the super-ego's critical aspect is more aligned with the id, not the higher self.
- π§ The higher self is distinguished from the super-ego, representing a state of full consciousness, self-awareness, and making decisions that are good for us without self-judgment.
- π‘ Personal development involves recognizing the tug-of-war within our minds between the lower self (id) and the higher self, and discerning which aspects are truly part of our higher self.
- π± The journey of self-actualization is about clarifying the distinction between the lower and higher self, leading to a natural and effortless inclination towards healthy behaviors.
- π€ The video encourages introspection and personal development to understand and align with our higher self, resulting in a disciplined and conscious approach to life.
- π The ultimate goal is to live a life where we are at peace with ourselves, motivated, and not bogged down by negative emotions, achieving a state of self-actualization.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video by Leo from Actualised.org?
-The main topic of the video is the explanation of the concepts of the id, ego, and super-ego, and how they can be applied to personal development in modern times.
What does Leo suggest is the best way to modernize and apply Freud's concepts to personal development?
-Leo suggests that while Freud's concepts are somewhat outdated, we can still take lessons from them and adapt them to help with self-control, happiness, and success in today's world.
What is the analogy used by Jonathan Haidt to describe the id, ego, and super-ego?
-The analogy compares the id to horses pulling a carriage, the ego to the rider controlling the horses, and the super-ego to an old father figure inside the carriage giving moral instructions to the rider.
According to the video, what does the id represent in the human psyche?
-The id represents the base, instinctual desires and unconscious forces within the psyche that seek instant gratification and pleasure.
What role does the ego play in Freud's model of the human psyche?
-In Freud's model, the ego is the rational part of the psyche that is conscious and in control, mediating between the desires of the id and the moral instructions of the super-ego.
What is the super-ego in Freud's theory, and what issues does Leo identify with it?
-The super-ego represents the moralizing part of the psyche, including conscience and societal influence. Leo identifies issues with it being overly critical and judgmental, which he suggests is not healthy.
How does Leo redefine the concept of the super-ego in a more modern context?
-Leo redefines the super-ego as the higher self, which is not about moralizing but about being fully conscious, making the best decisions, and living a life with a healthy emotional foundation.
What are the potential dangers of giving in to the id, as described in the video?
-The dangers of giving in to the id include forming bad habits that can destroy one's life, such as drug addiction, excessive partying, or indulging in unhealthy behaviors that can harm health, relationships, and career.
What is the difference between Leo's view of the higher self and Freud's super-ego?
-Freud's super-ego is seen as moralistic and critical, while Leo's higher self is about being fully conscious, accepting imperfections, and living a life at peace without the need for self-criticism or judgment.
How does Leo suggest personal development can help in distinguishing between the lower and higher self?
-Leo suggests that through introspection and personal development work, one can become more aware of which elements are part of the lower self and which are part of the higher self, leading to a more natural and effortless path towards healthy and conscious living.
What is the outcome Leo hopes for when individuals apply the concepts of the id, ego, and super-ego to their personal development?
-Leo hopes that by understanding and applying these concepts, individuals will achieve self-actualization, where they naturally and effortlessly guide themselves towards what is good for them without the need for self-criticism or judgment.
Outlines
π§ Understanding the Ego, Super-Ego, and the Id
Leo from Actualised.org introduces the concepts of the ego, super-ego, and the id, as originally proposed by Sigmund Freud. He aims to reinterpret these classical psychological concepts for modern personal development. Leo acknowledges that while Freud's theories may be outdated, they still offer valuable insights. He uses an analogy by Jonathan Haidt, comparing the mind to a horse carriage where the horses represent the id, the rider symbolizes the ego, and the old man in the carriage represents the super-ego. Leo explains the roles of each component, with the id being driven by primal desires, the ego acting as the rational mediator, and the super-ego embodying societal morals and ideals.
π The Dynamic Interplay of the Psyche
This paragraph delves deeper into the functions of the id, ego, and super-ego within the human psyche. The id is portrayed as the primal, unconscious desires seeking instant gratification, akin to horses pulling a carriage. The ego is the conscious, rational part that attempts to control these desires, while the super-ego represents the critical, moralizing voice, often influenced by societal norms and parental teachings. Leo discusses the challenges of the ego in balancing the desires of the id and the moralistic demands of the super-ego, suggesting that this balance is essential for personal growth but also acknowledges the limitations of Freud's model in contemporary psychology.
π‘ Redefining the Super-Ego and Higher Self
Leo challenges Freud's concept of the super-ego, suggesting that it is not our highest self but rather a critical, judgmental aspect that can be harmful. He proposes a reevaluation of the psychological model, distinguishing between the lower unconscious self, driven by primal desires, and the higher conscious self, which naturally aspires to live up to ideals and do good. Leo argues that true self-actualization comes from moving beyond the critical super-ego to embrace a higher self that is fully conscious, making decisions with awareness and wisdom, and not being burdened by self-criticism.
π Applying Psychological Concepts to Personal Development
The final paragraph focuses on the practical application of the discussed psychological concepts to personal development. Leo emphasizes the importance of recognizing the internal struggle between the lower and higher self and the need for introspection to distinguish between the two. He suggests that through conscious personal development, one can cultivate a natural, effortless discipline that aligns with the higher self's desires and values. Leo shares his own experiences, illustrating how understanding these concepts can lead to self-actualization, where healthy behaviors come naturally and motivation is derived from a place of peace and self-acceptance rather than self-criticism.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Ego
π‘Super-ego
π‘Id
π‘Personal development
π‘Consciousness
π‘Self-actualization
π‘Unconscious
π‘Higher Self
π‘Neurotic
π‘Introspection
π‘Discipline
Highlights
Introduction to the concepts of ego and super-ego from Sigmund Freud and their relevance to personal development.
An analogy comparing the id, ego, and super-ego to a horse carriage, illustrating their dynamic relationship.
Explanation of the id as the base instinctual desires seeking instant gratification and pleasure.
Description of the ego as the rational, conscious part that mediates between the id and super-ego.
The super-ego as the moralizing, ideal self that also acts as an inner critic.
Critique of Freud's model, suggesting it may not accurately represent modern understanding of the mind.
Discussion on the potential problems with the super-ego being overly critical and judgmental.
The idea that the higher self is distinct from the super-ego and represents full consciousness and self-actualization.
The importance of distinguishing between the lower and higher self for personal growth and discipline.
How self-actualization leads to a natural, effortless discipline aligned with one's higher self.
The misconception that the higher self is a mixture of good and bad elements, like the super-ego.
The journey of personal development as sorting out which elements belong to the lower or higher self.
The role of introspection and personal development in clarifying the distinction between the lower and higher self.
The impact of being at peace with oneself on motivation and the foundation for healthy action.
The potential for misinterpretation of Freud's model and the importance of understanding the true nature of the higher self.
The transformative experience of moving from struggling with negative habits to effortlessly choosing healthier behaviors.
Encouragement to sign up for the Actualized.org newsletter for further insights on self-actualization and personal development.
Transcripts
hey this is Leo for actualised org and
in this video I'm going to talk about it
ego and the super-ego all right welcome
back so let's talk about the it'd the
ego and the super-ego in this video I
want to cover what these concepts are
and how they play into practical
personal development how do we actually
apply these old-school concepts from
really Sigmund Freud back in the early
1900s how do we take them and how do we
make sense of them and actually use them
to help us today in our own lives to
improve our self-control and our ability
to be happy and successful so let's talk
about that let's really define what the
it'd the ego and the super-ego are like
I said these are some old-school
concepts coming from Sigmund Freud way
back in the day and in a lot of ways
they're somewhat obsolete today they're
somewhat archaic and the whole Sigmund
Freud school of thought the whole
analytical psychoanalytical school of
thought is in many ways not what you
want to be using in order to move
forward in your own personal growth what
I'm delivering to you guys through
actualized org is more practical more
modern ideas things you can go out there
and apply but we can still take some
lessons from this old model that Freud
developed and we can see how we can use
it to help us today so a really good
analogy that I loved and I got from
Jonathan Haight who wrote the happiness
hypothesis there he gives us on this
amazing analogy for what the it'd the
ego and the super-ego are he says it's
like this imagine in the old times
there's an old buggy a horse carriage
drawn buggy and here you've got the
horses which are pulling this buggy
forward at breakneck speed then what do
you got you've got the
rider on top of the buggy who is holding
the reins and trying to control the
horses trying to steer the horses he's
also got a whip so he's whipping the
horses to make them run and that is like
the relationship between the heed and
the ego the it'd are the horses the ego
is the rider he's trying to control the
horses but then inside the carriage
behind the rider is his old father and
his father is yelling at the rider
telling him where to steer the carriage
and that is like the super-ego so I love
this image because it's so easy to
remember and it just clearly illustrates
what each one of these functions of the
psyche are and that's exactly what Freud
was talking about here these are
functions of the psyche the heed the ego
and the super-ego so what is the it that
it is the horse or the multiple horses
that you've got pulling your carriage
forward so what is that literally well
that can be described as your more base
instinctual desires this is that force
within you that force within your psyche
that is looking for instant
gratification that is looking for
pleasure it's more or less unconscious
right the way that you would imagine a
horse a horse is just kind of doing its
own thing it's not too worried about
where we're going it's just hungry or
it's thirsty or it wants to run or it
doesn't want to move and that's just a
horse then you've got the ego the ego is
the rider he's the rational one he is
the more conscious one and he's the one
who's in control he's thinking long-term
he's planning he's the realistic person
he's the the strategic element of the
psyche he's that part of you that's
being rational and that's planning your
life that's the ego and it's trying to
rein in the it it's trying to rein in
the horses because sometimes the horses
want to do crazy things
that
not healthy for the overall throw over
old carriage and rider situation it
might even be something that's not
healthy for the horses themselves maybe
the horses decide that they will go want
to lead the carriage and themselves off
a cliff and they'll do that unless the
rider holds the back and steers them in
the right direction and then of course
we can't forget the lovable old cranky
man the father sitting in the carriage
behind the rider and he's the wise one
he's the one who knows best he's got
experience
he's got morals he's got ideals he's got
high standards he is the societal
influence you might say and he's the one
who's lecturing who's moralizing the
rider on how to best steer the horses so
he might criticize the rider in one
aspect of how he manages the horses or
he might he might offer some suggestion
or some advice about how it should be
done better and that is the super-ego
and what is that well that's the part of
our psyche that is the moralizing part
it's our conscience you might say it's
that part that is the ideal self but
also the critical self it's that inner
critic that we all have that tells us
that we know we could be doing better
and that we should be living up to
something more than we currently are so
this is the dynamic the it'd the ego the
super-ego this is how Freud thought of
it this is how Freud characterized the
human psyche is that he thought that we
had this very low base part which is
virtually unconscious the horses but it
all it wants are instant gratification
and desires right quick hits of pleasure
without thinking about long-term
repercussions
then he imagined we've got the flip side
of that the complete opposite which is
like the the moralizing site the ideal
side of us which knows what should be
done which is the conscious part but
it's also the part that can be sometimes
to ideal
stick to moralizing to sermonizing and
so then you have this dysfunction
in-between which is the ego and it's the
egos job to kind of guide between the
two extremes the ego is trying to really
live up to the conscience but in the
hand it's also trying to appease the
horses and it's trying to appease the
the it'd so yes the ego wants to to
indulge in pleasures but isn't one
indulgent pleasures in such a way that
it's self-destructive and it's going to
lead you off a cliff so he listens to
the super-ego and then sometimes the
super-ego is a little bit too Stern and
a little bit too self criticizing too
judgemental and so the the ego wants to
bring it back towards the it'd and this
is the job of the ego it's to mediate
between these two extremes like the best
in us and the worst in us to kind of
mediate between the two and to keep us
on the road on the road going forward in
life doing whatever it is that we have
to do now there are a few problems here
with this model I mean first of all it's
not literally how the mind works this is
just more of a kind of a figurative or
just a a diagram diagrammatic way of
looking at what is going on here so this
is not literally what's happening you
don't actually have an it in your brain
you don't actually have an ego in your
brain and a super-ego it's all kind of
meshed together and so some of these
roles are hard to really deal delineate
I think there's something powerful here
though to the idea that we do have a
lower self or something that seems like
that in our brain you know it's that
lower self that tells us that we
shouldn't go to the gym today that we
should just take it easy
it's that lower self that says we
shouldn't push it at work today we
should just take it easy maybe we should
just take a vacation maybe we should
drop off that diet maybe we've been good
enough so we should indulge in some TV
or some internet or some sort of easy
stimulation maybe go get that third
martini maybe go drinking with the
friends go have a party do something fun
do some recreational drugs right that's
the it'd and we all we've all been there
we've all given in to that and we also
know the dangers of that the dangers of
that are forming bad negative habits
that can really destroy your life I mean
in the the worst of situations like
drugs like literally those habits can
wreck your entire life but even in more
subtle ways even in more socially
acceptable ways just simple things like
watching television or being addicted to
partying and drinking even though that's
socially more socially acceptable than
hardcore drugs it's still probably
destroying your life and robbing you of
all the potential that you've got so you
got to watch out for that you got to
watch out for that for that in then of
course we also know the conscience part
and the conscience part I think is
really where Freud's model here kind of
starts to break down is I think the ego
is more accurate and that the the the
super-ego is the problematic thing
because really you don't have you don't
have this I mean you do have some sort
of societal conditioning and you
probably have morals that you picked up
from your parents and from society and
from the media it just things from
culture that you're told are taboo that
are wrong and so you've got those in the
back of your mind but that is really not
your highest self your highest self is
something different than the super-ego
really if we take this whole model and
we we cut it up in a different way I
think a more accurate way to cut it up
would be to simply say you that you've
got your lower unconscious self and then
you've got your higher conscious of
because your conscious self naturally
tries to live up to ideals and it
naturally tries to do good and your
higher self this is where you ultimately
want to be it's not that you should be
mediating between your your lower self
and your higher self no you should be
going totally for your higher self but
this higher self is not the moralistic
higher self that your parents taught you
about it's not that that sermon that you
got church that tells you that if you
don't do good and you don't do right and
then if you lie and you cheat
and you have sex then you're going to go
to hell with brimstone and and pain and
torture it's not it's not about that
that's not how it works and I think that
this is where Freud's model really
starts to break down is that use
probably coming at it more from this
religious context and the societal
conditioning context that was telling
you what to do no in reality the way it
works is that when you're doing things
for the lower values you're doing things
just to get pleasure or stimulation or
doing things that are easy and
comfortable really what you're doing is
you're behaving in an unconscious way
and when you're doing that that is the
evil of the world that is what's
destroying your life that's also what's
causing evil in the world is when people
live like that they live unconsciously
they get angry they have negative
thoughts are always judgmental they're
criticizing they're engaging in
activities that are not good for them in
the long run they're they're hurting
their health they're hurting their
relationships hurting their businesses
their work their careers that is all
unconscious when you start to move
towards consciousness you start to
develop more knowledge more
self-awareness
then what happens is that really you
move towards your higher self and your
higher self is not a mixture of both
good and bad elements like the super-ego
is because the super-ego on the one hand
it has ideals but it also is negative in
the sense that it's critical right it's
like that critical parent well that
parent might have good intentions but in
the end that criticism that the parent
is throwing out the judgments the
constant nagging that's not healthy and
that's actually an unconscious behavior
so what we want to do is in Freud's
model what we would do is we would take
the super-ego we would carve out that
critical part and we would now move it
over into the it'd that's where it
properly belongs and so if we
reformulate that whole model then what
you've got is you've got the it'd which
is the negative stuff and then you've
got the higher self you've got now the
new super-ego which one is what I call
the higher self and that's you being
fully conscious when you're fully
conscious that's ultimately where you
want to be that's when you're making the
best decisions that's when you're
thinking long term that's when you're
able to delay gratification that's when
you're able to be wise that's when
you're able to control your
impulses you're able to control your
thought patterns you're able to do
things with complete awareness you're
also very happy with life as it is you
don't always need to be judging and
criticizing browbeating yourself up all
the time
brow beating yourself and beating
yourself up over the fact that you're
not able to do as much as you wanted to
do that's not a healthy impulse
sometimes people get that wrong and I
think that's referred got it wrong is
that that's not a healthy impulse a
healthy impulse is being completely
conscious and it's also accepting the
fact that you're not perfect and that
you're going to slip up sometimes and
that's okay what you're trying to do is
you're trying to be conscious of all
your imperfections as well as the things
that are good about you and really when
you get to a very high level of
consciousness in your life then what
happens is that you just become at peace
with what is you're not so worried about
striving for something you're not so
worried about judging yourself for doing
something wrong or not living up to some
sort of goal you're just more
comfortable you're more peace now you
might say well if that's the case don't
you become listless don't you become
unmotivated don't you become lazy
actually no what happens is that when
you stop criticizing yourself you become
more motivated when you're at peace it's
not like you have no motivation now it's
not like you just sit on the couch in
fact quite the opposite when you're at
peace everything's okay and now you have
a very healthy emotional foundation from
which to act upon you're not attached to
two things and that's healthy to be
attached to results and outcomes is
neurotic so that parent that's sitting
in the back of the buggy yelling at his
son to steer the cart to the left or to
the right that's really not a healthy
relationship that's not a healthy
attitude that's a neurotic situation
kind of interesting to think about huh
how does that apply to your relationship
with your parents yeah that's what I
thought right probably a little bit of
that going on there too so basically
that is what the it'd the ego and
superego is now how does this actually
apply to your life and what can you do
with this
well I think what you do with it is that
you start to recognize that there are
these forces within your mind and
there's this tug-of-war going on that
part of it is pretty accurate there is a
tug of war going on between your lower
self and your higher self and sometimes
the lower self wins out sometimes the
higher self wins out and sometimes we do
get confused about really what is the
lower self what is the higher self
sometimes those elements kind of
intermix and it's hard to even
distinguish is our higher self really
doing the best for us or does it have
elements within it that are actually
part of the lower self that are critical
that are judgmental that are trying to
get us to achieve things that are not
really in line with what we want
authentically I think this is the real
the journey of personal development is
that you go through this and you start
to weed and sort out because it's not
quite so simple to say what is the lower
self and what is the higher self within
you you have to actually do some work
you have to do some introspection do
some personal development and slowly as
you get more experienced you start to
see which elements are really part of
your higher self and which elements are
not and as you do that as you make as
you make this this distinction more and
more clear in your mind it becomes
easier for you to become disciplined it
becomes easier for you to go towards the
route of consciousness and to do the
things that are high conscious and that
are good for you and you don't have to
browbeat yourself to get them to happen
it's an easy flowing kind of discipline
and that's really what
self-actualization is is the self
actualized person has made this
distinction very clear for himself and
he is naturally effortlessly guiding
himself towards what's good it's not
just doing the bad stuff and knowing
that there's good stuff you should be
doing it's knowing the good and the fact
that you know what's good makes you want
to do it that's ultimately the level
that you want to get to so I think
that's really the power of this idea is
that this is something that's real and
this is something that you can have in
your life is that you can carve out this
distinction very clearly for yourself by
doing conscious personal velopment work
to the point where the things that are
healthy for you are the things that
you're doing naturally I've personally
experienced this a lot in the last year
in my own life where a lot
the things that I've been struggling
with a lot of the bad stuff that I knew
I shouldn't be doing now I don't do them
effortlessly that's because of a lot of
the work that I've done and a lot of
that stuff I try to share with you guys
through the other videos that I've got
so that is ego IDI and super-ego I hope
that got you a little bit more clarity
around those classic psychology concepts
all right so this is it I'm going to be
signing off
go ahead post me your comments down
below I'd love to hear what you guys
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other people conscious about what's
going on with their own psychologies and
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