Psychoanalysis

Personality is composed of three interacting systems—id, ego, and superego. They are not structures or things; they are simply names for different psychological processes, and in normal circumstances they work together harmoniously.

The id, present at birth, is the foundation of personality containing all of the instincts and receiving its energy from bodily processes. Id operates according to the pleasure principle, meaning it avoids pain and seeks pleasure using two processes—reflex actions and primary process. Reflexes are inborn actions that reduce discomfort immediately, like a sneeze. Primary process is very simply forming a wish-fulfilling image of what is desired. For example, if you were hungry you might start imagining your favorite meal. Imagining of course will not satisfy hunger, or most other needs, and the ego develops to deal with reality and satisfy the id's demands because the id cannot tell the difference between what exists in reality and what is in the mind.

The ego, on the other hand, can make that distinction and it operates according to the reality principle, mediating between the desires of the id and the realities of the outside world. Ego tries to satisfy the id's urges in the most appropriate and effective ways. For example, the id might urge the person to go to sleep immediately, no matter where they are. The ego would delay sleep until a convenient time and an appropriate place were found.

The superego is the third and last system of personality to develop. It represents traditional values of society as learned by the child through its parents. It is concerned with morals and tells us what is right and wrong, punishing us with guilt feelings if we do something we were taught was wrong. Both the ego and superego derive their energy from the id.