You have certainly heard, in some conversation, the word "ego". Usually it is used to talk about the relationship of admiration and honor that we have with ourselves, as when we are asked, "Wow, did that hurt your ego?", with the intention of understanding if something has offended us or offended the image we have of ourselves.

But have you ever heard of the terms id, ego, and superego in psychoanalytic theory? Yes, the word "ego" has more than one meaning, so it is important to know each one and understand how to use it correctly.

According to the dictionary, "ego" can refer to "the central or nuclear part of a person's personality", as well as "the concept that someone has about himself". It is, in short, the way we see ourselves and, consequently, how we like to be seen by the people around us.

Often, this word carries a negative charge, as if having an ego is bad. Take, for example, this sentence written by the famous German physicist Albert Einstein: "A man's worth is determined primarily by the degree and direction in which he has freed himself of his ego. In the case of his quote, "ego" appears as a synonym for vanity, another usage that occurs a lot in ordinary dialoguesaround.

Well, about these two meanings of the word "ego" there is no need to theorize so much, right? You probably have already applied it in some dialogue somewhere and know well what it means. Let's, then, come back to the concept of ego for psychoanalysis, which is not usually as well known as these other meanings detailed above.

What is psychoanalysis?

Before understanding what the ego is for psychoanalysis, it is important to understand what psychoanalysis is. Psychoanalysis is a method of psychological treatment devised by the Czech Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). His theory, in broad terms, places as the focus of therapy an analysis of unconscious but usually recurring patterns of emotions, feelings and behaviors. In easier words,Those things that we do without knowing how or why, but that have roots and explanations so deep that we don't even know how far they extend and how they were born.

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Like almost all theories in the science that studies the human mind, Freud's studies were much questioned and even today are viewed with some skepticism by some scholars, but it is undeniable that such studies contributed a lot to change the superficial way human behavior was analyzed and studied.

It is common for people to confuse psychoanalysis and psychology or to think that one is a branch of the other, but the truth is that the two are totally different things. Psychology is a branch of study and analysis of several solid theoretical lines and, in general, with scientific proof of its effectiveness, i.e., the theories studied by those who major in psychology require a solid foundation,consequently, scientific proof.

Psychoanalysis, on the other hand, is derived from Freud's case studies and other psychoanalysts that were based on his theories. These theories have no basis or scientific proof, such as the assumption that there is an unconscious in our mind, so there is a great rejection of these theses in the academic environment of psychology.

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Besides this more theoretical part, there is a practical application that differentiates the two techniques. The psychologist analyzes the patients' gestures, thoughts, speech and behavior during therapy, with the goal of helping them recover, overcome their problems and traumas, and find more harmony in their relationship with themselves; often, the psychologist asks in-depth questions andThe psychoanalyst, on the other hand, encourages the patient to speak freely, without trying to guide him, so that the patient's flow of thoughts, by itself, drives the therapy.

What is the ego for psychology?

For psychology, therefore, there is no theorization about the ego. For psychoanalysis, however, the ego is one of the most important and central concepts of its theories.

In 1923, Freud developed what he called the structural model of personality. According to this theory, the psychic apparatus, what we popularly call the mind, would be divided into three structures: id, ego, and superego.

Vasileios Karafillidis / 123rf

- The id, according to Freud, represents what is most primitive in us: our instincts, our unconscious desires, our libido and drives, for example. It is a mechanism that always seeks pleasure and avoids displeasure above all, so it does not make plans or wait patiently for its desires to come true, because it desires, above all, immediate relief for everything thatmakes you want to.

- The superego is the moral part of our mind, so it represents the values and traditions that we absorb from society. This includes, for example, repressing, either through punishment or guilt, desires and impulses that would cause strangeness to other members of society. If the id is the unconscious desire for freedom, the superego is the unconscious act of putting restraints on oneself.

How does the ego work?

The ego is responsible for balancing these other two forces, so, taking into account the external world, it calculates which desires of the id should or should not be satiated and which repressions of the superego should be taken into account. The ego, therefore, is constantly under tension, because it is uninterruptedly playing the role of mediator between these two powerful and antagonistic forces that are the id and the superego.

The ego, according to Freud, uses some defense mechanisms to satisfy the desires of the id, even partially, without leaving aside the "considerations of the superego". Check out some defense mechanisms of the ego:

- Regression: the attitude of resuming attitudes from the past, often immature and characteristic of a phase that the person has left behind.

- Repression: the process of removing from consciousness behaviors that are painful or socially unacceptable.

- Projection: posture of attributing to the other a posture that is ours, in an attempt to deny or not admit a fault as being one's own.

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Anyway, as explained before, psychoanalysis is a set of theories developed by Sigmund Freud, so there are people who study and apply his ideas in practice, while others deny its effectiveness and classify it as pseudoscience. The recommended thing, as always, is that you seek knowledge to deepen your understanding of the subject and come to your own conclusions.