> **🌱 Planted:** Wed 8 January 2025 --- 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. --- **➡️ Next:** [[]] **⬅️ Back:** [[Freud's model of the Psyche]] --- **🈁 See Also:** - [[✦ Defence Mechanisms]] like [[Introjection is the act of integrating the projections of others into ourselves|Introjection]] and [[Identification is the act of taking on someone else's identity as if it were your own|Identification]] are involved in the formation of the superego.