Id, Ego, Superego - Understanding An Old School Psychology Concept

Summary

In 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

• 📚 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.
• 🐎 The id is likened to horses pulling a carriage, representing our base, instinctual desires seeking instant gratification and pleasure.
• 🤵 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.
• 👴 The super-ego is compared to an old man in the carriage, representing our conscience, societal influence, and the moralizing aspect of our psyche.
• 🔄 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.
• 🛑 The video critiques Freud's model, suggesting that the super-ego's critical aspect is more aligned with the id, not the higher self.
• 🧘 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.
• 💡 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.
• 🌱 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.
• 🤝 The video encourages introspection and personal development to understand and align with our higher self, resulting in a disciplined and conscious approach to life.
• 🌟 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

00:00

🧠 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.

05:04

🐎 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.

10:04

💡 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.

15:05

🚀 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.

Keywords

💡Ego

The 'Ego' in the video is described as the rational part of the psyche, akin to the rider in the horse carriage analogy. It's the conscious aspect that plans, thinks long-term, and attempts to control the base desires represented by the 'Id'. The Ego mediates between the desires of the Id and the moral judgments of the Super-ego, aiming to find a balance that is not self-destructive. The script uses the Ego to illustrate the struggle for self-control and the pursuit of happiness and success.

💡Super-ego

The 'Super-ego' is portrayed as the moralizing and critical part of the psyche, represented by the old father in the carriage. It embodies societal influence, ideals, and high standards, often acting as an inner critic. The video suggests that the Super-ego can be overly stern and judgmental, which contrasts with the more balanced and conscious 'Higher Self' that the script advocates for.

💡Id

The 'Id' is described as the base, instinctual desires within us, like the horses pulling the carriage. It seeks instant gratification and operates on an unconscious level, representing our primal urges for pleasure without concern for long-term consequences. The video emphasizes the need for the Ego to control the Id to prevent destructive behaviors.

💡Personal development

Personal development in the video is the process of understanding and applying psychological concepts to improve self-control, happiness, and success. It involves recognizing the tug-of-war within oneself between the lower and higher selves and making conscious efforts to align actions with the higher self.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness in the script refers to a state of awareness and self-knowledge that leads to making decisions that are in line with one's higher self. It is contrasted with unconscious behaviors that can lead to negative habits and outcomes. The video encourages developing consciousness to achieve self-actualization.

💡Self-actualization

Self-actualization is presented as the ultimate goal of personal development, where an individual has clearly distinguished between their lower and higher selves and naturally guides themselves towards what is good and healthy. The video suggests that this state allows for effortless discipline and motivation, leading to a fulfilling life.

💡Unconscious

The term 'Unconscious' is used to describe behaviors and desires that are not influenced by conscious thought, such as the Id's pursuit of instant gratification. The video implies that living an unconscious life can lead to negative outcomes and emphasizes the importance of moving towards a conscious state.

💡Higher Self

The 'Higher Self' is introduced as a reconceptualization of Freud's Super-ego, representing the ideal state of being fully conscious, accepting imperfections, and making decisions that are good for oneself. It is distinguished from the critical and judgmental aspects of the Super-ego.

💡Neurotic

The script uses 'Neurotic' to describe behaviors driven by anxiety, such as the parent in the carriage constantly instructing the rider. It contrasts with a healthy, peaceful state of mind where one is not overly attached to outcomes or results.

💡Introspection

Introspection is the process of self-examination and reflection that the video suggests is necessary for personal development. It involves looking inward to understand the elements of one's psyche and distinguishing between the lower and higher selves.

💡Discipline

In the context of the video, 'Discipline' refers to the ability to control one's actions and direct them towards what is good for oneself. It is described as an 'easy flowing' process when one has achieved self-actualization and is acting in line with their higher self.

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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