Personality Theory Of Sigmund Freud

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Dr. Sigmund Freud came up with a lot of controversial notions, but also set standards in psychology that are still used today. Looking at what is known as the psychoanalytic approach to personality will reveal how these theories are still relevant, and continue to define personality traits (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Exploring Freud’s theories of the conscious/unconscious by looking at one’s own id, ego, and superego will help explain the human personality and why one does the things they do. Freud’s ideas were mainly based on how the mind works with a special emphasis on how it is all set up in childhood (Psychoanalytic theory, n.d.). This brings to mind that adults are just children with a lot of practice being adults. Everything one does …show more content…

There is not just one system that directs all one does, there are three that help people make decisions, think, and act certain ways (McLeod, 2016). The id, ego, and superego can all be said to be influenced heavily by the world one lives in, or how they perceive it. The id might be compared to right and wrong, or life and death and is selfish, where the ego and superego help to control and direct it through external influences of reality and morals or spiritual values (McLeod, 2016). Comparing this to one’s own internal thoughts shows that there is a need for different instructions for different reasons, and gives an explanation of the different parts of one’s …show more content…

If the superego sees someone eating one too many cookies for instance, it would try to explain the detriment to the id, and/or ego, that they would experience both physically and mentally. There are quite a few different aspects of personality, and many of them rely on what goes on inside someone (Friedman & Schustack, 2012). Science is teaching the future a lot about why a person does what they do, but for now some things must rely on the person who says what they are doing and why. In the cookie example, one knows there is a conflict and these labels of Freud’s help us to define and understand

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