The ID, EGO, SUPEREGO

The id, according to Freud's theory of personality, is present at birth, and thus is the first system of personality development. It is the foundation that includes all instincts while deriving energy from bodily processes. Theoretically, the id works according to what is known as the 'pleasure principle'. Through this principle, pain is avoided to seek pleasure, and can be achieved through the process of reflex actions and the primary process. Reflexes are known to be physical actions that act on instinct in order to reduce pain immediately, such as sneezing when the nose is congested. The primary process tends to relate to the mental capacity of the human psyche, and involves forming a sort of "wish-fulfilling image" of what is desired. This can be exemplified by one who is lonely, perhaps, and begins to conjure 'imaginary friends' to satisfy his demands. Unfortunately, the id cannot distinguish the mind's illusion from reality, as imagination cannot satisfy desire.

The id is the part of personality that cannot differentiate the illusions of the mind from reality, and leaves the subject fantasizing about what is desired. It is at this point that ego makes its entrance. The ego is the second system of personality, and can make that distinction. Contrary to the id, the ego operates on what Freud named the 'reality principle', or "the representative of the outer world to the id". Through the reality principle, ego attempts to satisfy the id's urges as effectively as possible. For instance, the id may immediately desire rest for a person who is sleep deprived, but the ego counterbalances by delaying sleep until both an appropriate place and time were found. The ego, in other words, is in charge of meeting basic desires while also taking into account the real world, its limitations, and potential consequences. One could even say that the ego is by far the most rational of the three systems of personality. Interestingly, according to Freud, "a healthy individual