The ego is a terrible thing. Or…is it? The ego is what keeps us from becoming heathens. It keeps us from becoming nuns and maulvis. So when people say “my ego won’t let me...” does that mean that if there was no ego, people would act on their instinct and probably do the right thing instead of lingering in the shamed act of honoring their own arrogance?
I’ve always been interested in Freudian theories and while I would, at the end of the day, throw them out of the window: Freud’s theory of the “id,” “ego” and “superego” has always stuck out in my head.
Nobody has time for essays so let me just put it in Maddy terms:
Id: the child-like/unconcerned with the consequence/morally-irreverent part of your mind that causes you to act on inner desires and feed the need for instant gratification. Hunger, thirst, illicit physical desires and momentary aggressive blackouts (uncool) are part of the Id.
Superego: the prude and prim part of your mind that forces feelings of extreme guilt, fear and shame into everything that you do. Often related to men who have an Oedipus complex fearing the wrath of their fathers, but for our purpose – it’s the uptight, snobby, goody-two-shoes part of you that wears kid gloves all the time and is too worried about what others think to do anything Nas would call “real.”
Ego: The balancer. The part of your mind that is constantly caught in a battle between doing what feels right and doing what is right [at the time, for the person, in the situation, etc.]
“I want. What I want.” I give into my id. “I should not want it because its wrong.” I am foolishly listening to my superego. “I want to do something but something inside makes me feel so guilty that I’m just going to remain where I am -- stale, solid, indifferent to my own desires.” I am being ego-tistical. Right? Wrong? What have I missed in my life that I couldn’t have? What could I have done that I didn’t? What did I do that I wish I didn’t? When did my ego fail me? When did my superego fail me?
Life is a balance of wishing you did things and wishing you didn’t do things. People who say they don’t regret anything in life are either liars or don’t have a semblance of the effect they have on others.
Me, personally, I can’t figure out if I’m more id or superego.
Career goals - Id.
Travel - Id.
Love - Ego.
Forgiveness – Superego.
Anger – Id.
Patience – Id.
Strength - Id
Foresight – Superego.
Sum of life - ?
I wish people would stop being so superego and be more id. Only some people. Sure it might release a little bit more evil than necessary, but I honestly think the amount of irrational love and emotional fortitude that would be unchained from our minds would more than quash the bad stuff. The ego. Is a terrible thing.
Random question: Why is it that when Australians sing, they sound American?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v_9H-NmqxY&NR=1
