The other day, I was watching a documentary about the famous serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, fueled by curiosity about what goes on in the minds of individuals like him, In a moment, Dahmer was asked: “Why have you done that, what makes you do that”. He answers:
“I dont know, just some forces and desires inside me”
What Jeffrey Dahmer said is just another way of saying:
“I was on autopilot, just going with the flow of my unconscious mind".
It’s a sentiment shared by many serial killers — their actions seem to unfold in a realm beyond conscious control, driven by impulses and urges hidden deep within.
Alright, I guess that was a bit of an extreme example… Let me bring it closer to day-to-day life. Picture this: You’re in a meeting, and suddenly, you agree with a colleague’s suggestion, even though you had reservations just moments ago. Well, you surely would regret this every time you do it (which is the same thing happening with serial killers). But you still keep doing it. It could be driven by deep-seated desires for approval or fears of conflict, buried deep within our unconscious minds.
Much like Dahmer’s acknowledgment of inner forces at play, our everyday behaviors are often influenced by subconscious impulses rooted in our past experiences. This doesn’t only happen with Dahmer or the meeting guy, it happens with everybody.
So whether we’re delving into the mind of a notorious figure or examining our own everyday choices, psychodynamics helps us unravel the mysteries of our unconscious minds and understand how they shape our present reality.
Freud’s Iceberg Theory
Consider this. Have you ever done something crazy or stupid and thought to yourself:
Why did I do that ?
Of course, you have, WE all have! Well whatever you did, the behavior that was exhibited had roots.
This would simply be explained with Sigmund Freud’s Iceberg Model of Consciousness. Freud stated That the primary source of human behavior is The unconscious mind. Our feelings, desires, and memories are powerfully influenced by past experiences and stored in the unconscious, which makes up about 90% of our psyche. The conscious part, the part we’re aware of, is just the tip of the iceberg, making up the remaining 10%.
Some things in the unconscious mind are nice to have around, but many others are things we’d rather forget. They might be painful, embarrassing, or just plain scary. And because these things are so unpleasant, our mind tries to hide them. However, sometimes, the unconscious mind tries to sneak out. It can show up in strange ways, like dreams, overreactions, or weird acts like screaming.
So, Why is the unconscious important if it is full of unpleasant things? Well, the reason is because it also drives our behavior, our likes, dislikes and even our decisions can be influenced by things we’re not aware of. It’s after all a powerful part of us, even though we can’t see it, it’s like a hidden force that shapes who are we and what we do.
Id
Sigmund Freud proposed a structural model of personality comprising three key components: The id, ego, and superego. These components interact dynamically to shape human behavior and psychological experience.
The id is the most primitive and instinctive part of the personality. It responds directly and immediately to basic urges, needs, and desires. The id engages in primary process thinking, which is primitive, illogical, irrational, and fantasy-oriented. This form of process thinking has no comprehension of objective reality.
Let’s give an example of newborns. A newborn personality can be almost entirely attributed to the id. This means the infant is driven entirely by instinctual drives and desires, seeking immediate gratification without regard for consequences or social norms. The newborn’s cries for food and warmth. Comfort a direct expression of the id’s demands. By the way, The id is the only personality component present since birth. On the other hand, the ego and superego develop throughout life (Experience).
Eros & Thanatos
Freud believed that people were ruled by two primary forces: The life instinct (Eros), and the death instinct (Thanatos). Eros helps promote survival, reproduction, and social cooperation. Whereas Thanatos leads people to experience aggression, engage in risky behaviors, and re-experience past traumas. It is the two that help shape human behavior.
Eros was the god of love, fertility, and passion in ancient Greece. Thanatos was the human manifestation of death. Freud himself did not use these terms. Later thinkers attached these terms to Freud’s concepts.
Eros is focused on the preservation of life, both of the individual and of the species. This drive compels people to engage in actions that sustain their own lives, such as looking after their health and safety. It also exerts itself through sexual drives (libido), motivating people to create and nurture new life.
Freud proposed a dark theory about human nature. He believed we possess an inherent drive towards death, which he called Thanatos. This destructive urge can be channeled outward as aggression or violence towards others. However, it can also be directed inward, leading to self-destructive behaviors or even a desire to suicide.
Although people eventually learn to control the id, this part of personality remains the same infantile, primal force throughout life. It is the development of the ego and the superego that allows people to control the id’s basic instincts and act in ways that are both realistic and socially acceptable.
Ego
The ego is the conscious part of the personality, representing what a person is aware of when they think about themselves and what they typically project to others. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the id’s impulses are expressed in a socially acceptable manner.
The ego operates based on the reality principle, It’s like a referee between the id and the superego, it tries to figure out how to satisfy your wants without causing trouble, Instead of just doing whatever feels good, the ego thinks about the pros and cons of a situation before deciding what to do, It’s all about finding a balance between getting what you desire and being a good human.
The term “ego” is often used informally to tell that someone is too proud. But in psychology, it’s helpful. Your ego is like your inner balance keeper. It stops you from being ruled by your wildest desires or your strictest morals. A strong ego means you’re good at understanding yourself and making smart choices.
Let’s say you’re super broke (which is true.. jk), and you see a killer pair of sneakers online. Your inner you (id) is like: “OMG, buy them now!”, but your ego’s like: “Whoa, hold your horses, you need to pay rent and eat this week!”. So, instead of blowing all your cash, you save up for them, or maybe find a cheaper pair you like almost as much. That’s your ego being the adult in the room.
Superego
The superego is the moral component of the psyche, representing internalized societal values and standards learned from parents and society. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age 5 during the phallic stage of psychosexual development.
The superego consists of two essential parts:
- Conscience: which is composed of the rules for which behaviors are considered bad. If the ego gives in to the id’s demands, the superego may make the person feel bad through guilt.
- Ego-Ideal: This is the set of rules and standards for good behavior that are mostly approved by parents and society. Following these rules makes us feel proud, valuable, and accomplished. Breaking them can make us feel guilty. The ego-ideal is the image we have of our perfect selves, the people we want to become. It’s often modeled after people we admire and serves as a standard for who we strive to be.
The primary action of the superego is to suppress entirely any urges or desires of the id that are considered wrong or socially unacceptable. It also tries to force the ego to act morally rather than realistically. Finally, the superego strives for moral perfection.
Guilt is a common problem because of all the urges and drives from the id and all the prohibitions and codes in the superego. There are various ways an individual handles guilt, which are called Defense mechanisms (coming soon in a new article…)
If a person’s ego-ideal is too high, then whatever the person does will feel a failure. The ego-ideal and conscience are largely determined in childhood by parental values and how you were brought up.
The Harmony Within
When talking about the id, ego, and superego, it’s important to remember that these are not three separate entities with clearly defined boundaries. These aspects are dynamic and always interact to influence an individual’s overall personality and behavior.
According to Freud, a healthy personality comes from balancing the id, ego, and superego. A well-adjusted personality develops if the ego can balance the demands of reality, the id, and the superego. For example, if the id is too dominant, a person might become impulsive, uncontrollable, or even criminal, acting on basic urges without considering if their behavior is appropriate, acceptable, or legal. On the other hand, if the superego is too dominant, a person might become extremely moralistic and judgmental, unable to accept anything or anyone they see as “bad” or “immoral.”
Freud’s psychodynamic theory provides one conceptualization of how personality is structured and how the elements of personality function. In Freud’s view, a balance in the dynamic interaction of the id, ego, and superego is necessary for a healthy personality.
If you’re reading this, I must praise your patience. I guess I’ll call it a day now. If you have any suggestions about new articles/improvements to this article/any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You can comment here, email me, send me a message on Instagram, or send me a message on Discord (E11even#1673). Peace!
References
Freud, S. (1920). Beyond the pleasure principle. SE, 18: 1–64.
Freud A. The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. International Universities Press, Inc; 1946.
Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. SE, 19: 1–66.
