Bypass the Ego

Introduction

What IS the ego? Do/can females possibly have as pertinent of egos in day to day life as the majority of their male counterparts? Do we need the ego to succeed in life, and if not, is it even SLIGHTLY POSSIBLE to bypass it in our daily existence? Can we instead operate solely within the confines of a strengthened, reliable superego and a primal, animalistic id?

As evident and distracting as the ego can be in a social context, true ego dysfunctions occur in solitude. When we are lying in bed at night pondering the thoughts of the day what is going through our mind? Are we hurt by the words of our colleagues that ‘rubbed us the wrong way’ (ego)? Or rather are we a bit concerned with the mental/emotional state of said colleague and thus assume this is the reason he/she snapped at us or could not afford to make eye contact (superego)? How about that decent looking guy who glanced at our girlfriend the ‘wrong’ way whom in turn noticed the glance and flatteringly smiled? Mad that he did such a thing and even more infuriated at the fact that one’s own girlfriend, who has made a social and verbal commitment to remain faithful to the individual in question, smiled at such a pleasant, non-verbal compliment to her physical attractiveness (ego)? Or confident enough in one’s own DG, girlfriend’s morals (her superego), and the ability to turn into an absolute physical specimen to protect one’s lover should the situation SOMEHOW warrant such a socially-uncommon act (strengthened id)? These are all questions we shall ponder throughout this piece as we explore the ego, the id, and the superego, first introduced into the scientific and psychological vernacular by the late great Sigmund Freud.

Separating out the Ego, ID, and Superego

In his 1920 essay entitled Beyond the Pleasure Principle, Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, introduced the ego, id, and superego into the scientific literature as the three major components of the human psyche. Freud believed and further argued that it was these three forces working together, and sometimes in opposition to one another, that shaped an individual’s behavior and personality.

Operating solely on the pleasure principal and seeking instant gratification for its primal needs, and thus the individual’s primal needs, the id is the ‘immature’ component of one’s personality and the source of basic human impulses and drives. (https://freudhistoryandconcepts.blogspot.com/2008/04/id-ego-and-superego.html). The superego on the other hand, or shoulder, represents our morals, principals, and ethics. It directs us on right and wrong as it considers societal standards for proper behavior. Freud theorized that the superego begins to develop between 3 and 5 years of age and is mostly shaped by what we learn as young children to early adulthood (https://freudhistoryandconcepts.blogspot.com/2008/04/id-ego-and-superego.html). The third and final component of the Freudian psyche, the ego, makes the decisions which dictate human behavior and operates solely on the reality principle. (https://freudhistoryandconcepts.blogspot.com/2008/04/id-ego-and-superego.html). The ego, id, and superego are by no means separate entities but rather dynamic and constantly interacting forces within the individual. Freud believed that a balance between these three forces within the psyche was crucial to a healthy personality and individual human functioning.

Brain and Mind Dichotomy

A discussion on the ego, id, and superego can be quite difficult for the lay person to understand and comprehend for it requires quite a bit of theoretical and advanced-imaginative thinking. The human mind, or the psyche (where it is presumed that the id, ego, and superego reside), is dissimilar to the human brain in that the mind is not a physical organ; it cannot be mapped, labeled, and/or physically seen. The mind is an emotional and subjective component present in yet experienced differently by all humans. To illustrate this concept, consider the following: when two individuals stand side by side looking at a beautiful piece of art, the same physical brain regions of these two individuals are likely to be activated and in use (a theory which can be tested through brain scans and other brain imaging/mapping devices). However, the subjective feelings, emotional states, and interpretations experienced while viewing this piece of art live within each of the two individual’s respective minds. One of the individuals may find the hypothetical art piece being viewed to be beautiful, energizing, and vibrant, while his/her counterpart (with similar, if not the same exact lit up brain regions) may find the SAME exact art piece to be distasteful, dull, and simply repulsive. These subjective reports and feeling states, although biologically, chemically, and neurologically derived from their physical brains, are ultimately produced by the individual’s minds, or psyches. Hopefully this brief hypothetical illustrates the difference(s) between the human brain and mind.

On a separate, yet related note, different sub-fields of the mass of individuals whom deal with the workings of the brain and mind often deal with one of the two more predominantly then they do the other. Psychiatrists, cognitive psychologists, behavioral/cognitive neuroscientists, and neuropsychologists, amongst others I am sure, are more likely to spend the bulk of their professional time dealing primarily with issues, questions, research topics and concerns related to the physical brain. Conversely, psychoanalysts/psychodynamically-oriented psychologists (Freudian predecessors), behavioral psychologists, evolutionary psychologists, humanistic psychologists, and sport psychologists, amongst others I am sure, will professionally deal primarily with issues, questions, and concerns surrounding the subjective minds of individuals and collective groups of individuals.

The Animal Within: The ID

Operating solely on the pleasure principal and seeking instant gratification for its primal needs, and thus the individual’s primal needs, the id is the ‘immature’ component of one’s personality and the source of basic human impulses and drives. Put simply, the id is the animal that lives within all of us; if not extremely repressed by the constraints of modern American society. It is the fury and drive one possesses when in competition or flow state. The id is the primal animal that emerges when in combat with another being, or the threat of potential combat arises. It is the physical burst, aided by a surge of adrenalin and other performance enhancing endogenous chemicals (produced by the brain!), one receives when full out sprinting. The id is the protective and primal part of our being which allows us to accomplish inhumane acts of physicality for those we love.

The id is the productive motor that keeps one up late at night because it simply cannot get enough out of the day. It is the sexual component, drive, and psychic energy that craves and urges one to reproduce; or simply find a sexual mate for the night to satisfy its insatiable needs and desires. The id does not listen to nor care much for, if at all, society or societal standards. The id is extremely primal; it is old beyond belief. The id’s primary concern is purely biological and survival-based: breathing, feeding, walking, reproducing, etc. Unfortunately, due to the comfortable social, economic, and physical circumstances that we currently find ourselves residing in as a society, the TRUE nature of our collective and individual ids has been massively repressed, for better or for worse. On a day to day basis, most humans do not engage in intense physical activity or competition with one another in a primal fashion, as we are biologically-conditioned to do. Many of us sit for 8-10 hours a day at our cubicles, in artificially lit rooms, and stare into blue-lit computer screens only to come home to sit on our asses and stare at more blue-lit TV screens, or phones, or laptops. If we do happen to engage in physical activity, it generally occurs indoors, where we lift man made machines and weighted equipment. These forms of physical expression are counterintuitive to the evolutionary history of our species, and our id’s, which are hardwired to engage in intense physical competition with one another (think gladiator’s in Rome).

In conclusion, the id is the animalistic component of our being. It is the oldest and most primal part of our existence as humans. The id is the part of our being which seeks instant gratification for it’s demands and needs (food, reproduction, breathing, drinking, etc.). Its main concern and function is to keep our individual selves alive and well while also ensuring that our genes get passed along to the next generation by any means necessary. The id is the animal that lives within us all.

NOTE: I discuss the id first, before both the ego and superego, because from an evolutionary and physical perspective, scientists presume that the id arrived and evolved first; to maintain our survival as individuals and collectively as a species. From a physical perspective as well, the id, who’s functions reside mainly in the brainstem and back half of our brains, also evolved prior to the evolution of the other psyches correlated brain regions.

The Moral Guide: The Superego

              If the id is the primal ‘devil’ on your shoulder constantly tempting you with socially unacceptable, if not personally beneficial, forms of behavior, the superego is the ‘angel’ on the other shoulder, keeping you in check and always striving to steer you down the moral, correct path; and the ego is your head in the middle ultimately calling all the shots (but more on that in a bit). The superego is our individual/internal moral compasses and ethical codes of conduct that we each consciously and unconsciously live by, differing slightly from individual to individual. The superego is the soulful, spiritual part of our being.

Some individual’s superegos inform them that it’s morally acceptable to cheat on his/her significant other while most other people’s superegos find such behavior morally reprehensible and unforgivable. Much as society has rules that are enforced by law enforcement and the judicial branch of the government, the superego serves as each of our individual sets of rules. The punishment for breaking these rules are generally not physical jail time or monetary fines however, but more along the lines of long nights without sleep or internal self-disgust as our conscience is filled with regret, remorse, and self-hatred. A synonymic and more commonly referred to word for the superego is the term conscience.

              The superego begins to form in early childhood, around the ages of 3-5, and is mainly shaped by the examples our parents set and the judicial system they lay down within our childhood households. By observing the way our parents act and interact with society, abiding by the rules set out for us within the confines of their home, and observing the way that society is run, our superegos slowly take form and begin to shape themselves within our minds. From a young age, we begin to individually create an unconscious mapping of our OWN internal values and ethical codes that we in turn elect to live and abide by. This internal sense of right and wrong guides our decision-making process in everyday life whether we are aware of it or not. The superego is the moral guide that helps to keep us soulful and whole. Those whom disregard their superegos in their daily lives time and time again may find themselves feeling empty, lost, or incomplete. Those individuals whom seem to lack superegos all together or whom have extremely corrupted or weak superegos often may find themselves getting into trouble with the law and may even be referred to by some professionals as “psychopaths.”

Bypass: The Ego

              Operating solely on the reality principle, the ego makes the decisions which dictate human behavior. If the id is the ‘devil’ that lives on one of your shoulders, constantly whispering into your ear tempting you with socially-deviant, yet personally pleasurable and beneficial forms of behavior, the superego is the ‘angel’ that lives on the other shoulder, doing it’s best to keep you in check and lead you down what it perceives to be the moral, conscienceable road of decision making. The ego is your head in the middle, constantly in-taking the whisperings from both the superego and id as it attempts to navigate the complex world it finds itself in and make informed decisions.

              The ego is the aspect of our psyche that cares deeply about the opinions of others as well as our respective status within society. Our egos are so much concerned with how society and others around us perceive us that it actually let’s these perceptions dictate our personal decision making. The ego will make decisions solely to please the needs of those we care about in order to gain social acceptance and recognition, not aware of the fact that the majority of those around us are only concerned with themselves and too busy to think or care about what we are doing. Unlike its id and superego counterparts, which are both fairly set in their ways, the ego’s principles differ depending on the social situation the individual finds itself in. Have you ever talked to someone one on one and had a great conversation with them only then to find them to be a completely different, much less pleasant individual when you two are surrounded by a group of people a few weeks later? That is their ego shifting and molding itself to conform to the situation it finds itself in.

Many of us have several different egos that we are not even aware of (these differing egos are not to be confused with separate personalities or identities as seen in traumatized individuals clinically diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder). Who we are when we are at work is vastly different then who we are and how we behave when we are at the gym or hanging out with a friend. We have different egos, and display different forms of personally beneficial, socially acceptable behavior, depending on the social situation we find ourselves in. It is quite possible for an individual to have a work ego, gym ego, friend (or friends) ego, family ego, boyfriend/girlfriend ego, and many other ‘sub-fields’ of egos that they unconsciously inhabit depending on their social situation.

              Since the ego is so concerned with the opinions and perceptions of others, it loves when it can show off. The ego strives to gain money, fame, status, and as many expensive items as possible. Through the possession and attainment of these externally enforceable material items, the ego shows off to the exterior world how “amazing” and superior it is to all other individual’s egos. The more opportunities that the ego has to brag and boast about how amazing it is to others the better.

              The problem with our egos is that they get in our way of maximizing our potential as individuals. Because the ego is so externally focused and reliant on the reinforcement of those around us, it restricts our inner core, id, and superego from achieving the things they wish to achieve. Our ids WANT to talk to that girl at the party that we see across the room and are attracted to. The only thing restricting it is the ego, worried about rejection and public embarrassment. Our superegos WANT us to be the most morally correct and spiritual beings that we can possibly be, if it wasn’t for our egos concern with how our friend’s will perceive us when we elect to not have a drink at the bar. In the 1920’s the founding father of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic movement in psychology Sigmund Freud published an essay entitled Beyond the Pleasure Principle. In his piece, Freud introduced the scientific world to what he theorized to be the three components of the human psyche; the superego, ego, and id. Freud argued that it was these three forces working together and in balance with one another that shaped an individual’s behavior and personality. No disrespect to the late, great Sigmund as I write this with the utmost respect to his remarkable legacy: fuck the ego. I say strengthen the id, trust and improve your superego and operate within the confines of these two forces. I say that as often as you possible can: bypass the ego. You might just find that your day to day life becomes a little less stressful and more enjoyable as you begin to operate outside the confines of your ego.