**\#️⃣ Tags:** #Psychology #Psyche > **🌱 Planted:** Tue 24 December 2024 --- [[Sigmund Freud]]’s model of the psyche is one of the most influential concepts in psychoanalysis. In his 1923 work "The Ego and the Id", Freud proposed the human mind is structured into three distinct elements: the Id, the Ego and the [[Superego]]. Freud’s model was developed as part of his broader inquiry into unconscious processes and the inner conflicts that shape human behaviour. Through his earlier theories about the conscious and unconscious mind, he came up with this framework which explains how desires, reality and morality all interact within the human Psyche. # Id The **Id** represents the unconscious (repressed memories or feelings) and preconscious (memories or feelings) element of the Psyche that can be pulled into conscious awareness). It operates entirely outside of conscious awareness, is present from birth, and can be seen as the force that drives our animal instincts to survive, seek pleasure and avoid suffering. The Id operates according to the "Pleasure Principle", which is about seeking immediate gratification for its impulses, regardless of consequences or morality. # Ego The **[[Ego]]** is the conscious element of the Psyche which gives rise to a structured and cohesive identity ([[Self-Concept]]). It represents reason, common sense, and is how we experience ourselves and the world around us as we're consciously aware of it. It operates according to the "Reality Principle" which means it has a tough job because it serves three masters: the impulsive desires of the [[The Id is the source of instinctual desire|Id]], the reality of the external world, and the moral and ethical standards of the [[The Superego represents the moral expectations of parents, culture and society|Superego]]. # Superego The **[[Superego]]** is the element of the Psyche which reflects the internalisation of morals, rules and ethics as presented by the expectations of parents, culture and society. The superego is formed during the early years of childhood through the interactions with parents or caregivers, and it reflects the values and rules of the external world. [[人 人 Sigmund Freud|Freud]] said the superego indicates a successful identification with the parental authority. The superego represents what we commonly know as the [[Inner Critic]], which often upholds us to perfectionistic standards and punishes us with guilt and shame.