The ego is the interpreter and mediator between inside happenings (various parts of the mind) and the given conditions in the outside world. reasoning, problem solving) and makes the rational decisions that helps us succeed (King 2008: p. Although not all of it is conscious the ego becomes the seat of consciousness, houses our higher mental functions (e.g. 409-410).Īccording to Freud the ego (latinisation of the german term “das Ich” which is translated as “the I”) develops out of the id and can be described as the ids surface part. Experiencing these guidelines of reality and rules of play, a new structure is formed in the child's personality: the ego (King 2008: pp. So for example as children mature, they learn that it is socially unacceptable to defecate on public ground. Subsequently the world would be an unpleasant environment if all hu- man personalities were all id-driven. The freudian concept assumes that the id always seeks pleas- ure and prevents pain. Further more it functions as the “source of energy for all mental activities” and is the origin from which the other components, ego and superego, derive (Heimann 1952: p. Out of all three components the id is most closely related to the physical body and has no con- tact with reality. Its longings are amoral, dictatorial and do not know compromises or rationalisations. The id (latinisation of the german term “das Es” which is translated as “the It”) is described as the reservoir of instincts and represents ones unconscious, elemental and most primitive urges. It says that structure of mind is composed of three main parts which differ in terms of their respective functions: the unconscious, preconscious and conscious level of mind which set the scientific base for his future theory of id, ego and superego (Schriver 1998: p 179). Based on this, Freud developed his theory of human per- sonality. His research led him to the conclusion that his patients´ symptoms were always rooted in early childhood traumas and parental rela- tionships (Schriver 1998: p. In the 1900´s he practiced research fo- cused on the observation of patients with mental illness rather than experimentation which was later known as the founding of psychoanalysis. One of the most influential representatives of personality research and most revolutionary thinkers of the twentieth century was Sigmund Freud. Personality is a pattern of emotions, behaviours and enduring, distinctive thoughts that form an individual´s unique character and accounts for its existence as the same person throughout its life (King 2008: p. According to that, personality could be seen as the fingerprint of mind, a collection of psychological attributes such as traits, abilities, beliefs or experiences that make us who we are. Not even twins with identical DNA have the same fingerprint, because a fingerprint is determined not simply by genes but also by prenatal envi- ronmental factors such as the health condition of the mother or other individual influences (King 2008: p. Fingerprints or irises of eyes are perfect examples of physical features, which makes a person unique. Henry Murray once said that “all of us are in some ways like all other people, in some ways like some other people and in some ways like no other person” (Murrey in King 2008: p. Personality is a concept that is familiar to eve- ryone but difficult do define. What makes a person different from every other? What makes a person unique? What is per- sonality? Over the course of the last centuries those questions led scientists to conduct re- search and develop partially contrary answers. Briefly discuss each and state five ways the Ego is able to avoid anxiety. According to Freud, personality is divided into three basic components.
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