Question

Sonia is continually concerned about whether her behaviors are socially acceptable. According to Freudian approach, what could control her personality? Explain each element in detail with relevant examples.

Answer 1

• According to Freud,our personality is made up of three parts-ID,Ego and Super ego.Id is based on the pleasure principle,is irrational and requires immediate gratification of our needs and impluses.
• Ego is based on the reality principle,acts as a mediator between Id and Super-Ego and helps us to make the right choice which is practical and realistic.It helps to satisfy id desires in socially appropriate ways.
• Super Ego is the moral arm of personality which helps us to differentiate between morally right and wrong actions.It tries to make us engage in civilized social behaviours and works to suppress our unacceptable desires of the Id and struggles to make our Ego upon idealistic standards rather than reality principle.
• An imbalance between the three could lead to maladaptive personality,so a balance is required.
• Some of our behaviours are socially unacceptable which we tend to repress into in unconscious,which causes distress and anxiety.According to Freud,we tend to use Ego defense mechanisms to control these unacceptable behaviours.These defense mechanisms protect our ego against anxiety caused by our socially unacceptable behaviours which are repressed.
• Defense mechanisms helps to shield our ego from the imbalance between Id and Super ego.These mechanisms would help to control the anxiety arising out of unacceptable behaviours in Sonia.For example,denial would help her to ignore the existence of the problem in order to not deal with it.
• Repression would allow her to keep her unacceptable behaviours hidden in the unconscious mind.
• Sublimation can help her not to act on these impulses by converting these behaviours into more acceptable ones.For example,she could channelize her extreme anger issues by taking up kick boxing and letting it out in an appropriate way.