The superego is one of the three personality components of Sigmund Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis. It is a formal part of the personality, the most conscious, which mediates between the demands of the “it”, the “superego” and reality.
The superego together with the “it” and the “I”, are part of the greatmetapsychologicalrenewal that Freud introduced with the so-called second topic (structural model of the psychic apparatus governed by the instances it – I – superego).
Next, in this article we will share everything you need to know about the “superego”.
What is the superego?
The superego is the moral instance, judging the activity of the “I“, and at the same time acts as a counselor. It represents the moral and ethical thoughts received from the culture. The “superego” represents the controlling part of the impulses, instincts and manifestation of the raw pleasure of the humanpsyche.
Within thepsychic theoryof Sigmund Freud the superego arises from the “I”, which is formed by the internalization of the values and norms of the parents. It was born with the resolution of the Oedipus complex and constitutes the internalization of the norms, rules and prohibitions of parents or caregivers.
It is based on a strict morality that monitors, threatens and punishes the “I”. It is internalized and governed by the principle of duty. Act unconsciously.
According to the work done by Lanza Castelli, “An integrative model for mentalization”, the “superego” is “mechanism of evaluation and unconscious selection”.
Features of the superego
The characteristics noted below describe the most distinctive features of this component of personality.
It is part of the psychic apparatus
For psychoanalysis, this personality is composed or integrated by three elements that have no structure in the organism, they do not occupy space in the mind.
These are, according to psychoanalysis: the “id”, the “superego” and the “ego”, which are part of Freud’s second topic of the 20th century.
It is also known as super ego
For Freudian psychoanalysis, the superego is also called superego, and in both meanings it is made up of morality and the rules that a subject respects in society.
It forms from 4-5 years
The superego is the final part of the personality, which emerges between the ages of 3 and 5, the formal stage in Freud’s stages of psychosexual development. The superego is the moral guide of the personality, maintaining clarity between good and evil.
These values are initially learned from the parents themselves. However, the superego continues to grow over time, allowing children to adopt the moral standards of others they admire, such as teachers.
Let’s take into account that the assessment of what is good and bad will be influenced by the cultural characteristics of the community. Thus, the religious interpretation can be different, according to the culture that interprets it and in this way it will be the internalization of the norms and rules.
According to Sevilla Valderas in her article “Psychoanalysts, psychologists and psychiatrists talk about psychopathy and human evil” , when parental authority disappears or has been inconsistent, superego pathology arises.
That is why the importance of parental authority and the transfer of experiences from childhood to the individual.
It constitutes the moral and ethical instance of the culture obtained
All cultures conform to rules, to maintain the proper functioning of individuals in community. Many of these rules are made up of what is right and what is not, what is right and what is wrong.
This is the function of the superego, to monitor strict compliance with these rules through the ego.
In a work carried out by Ramos García entitled “A place for misfortune: malaise and pathology at the turn of the millennium” , he describes that the relationship with the paternal is where a superego guarantor of moral conscience will have to be built.
Arises as a result of the resolution of the Oedipus Complex
The heir of the Oedipus complex is the Superego, which represents the moral conscience (partly conscious and partly unconscious) of the subject, as well as his ideals.
The Superego is structured in opposition to the “I” (which is identified with consciousness, with the sense of reality).
The case of the Oedipus complex arises in the boy, in the girl it is called the Electra Complex .
Consider the real and the ideal
In his theory, Freud postulated that around the age of 4 or 5, the “ego” recognizes the demands of the “superego” that is beginning to form and that makes it consider the real, but also the ideal (that is, how it should be). our conduct).
This instance of the personality seeks perfection, producing feelings of pride (positive) or guilt (negative). It represents the real rather than the ideal.
seek perfection
The moralistic and ethical position of the “superego” prevents the “I” from manifesting the pure desires of the ” IT” in order to avoid unacceptable behaviors. For the “superego”, the individual’s behavior must optimally adjust to the parameters (norms and rules) of the culture where it is formed.
Seek perfection before pleasure and reality. It becomes the moral code of the person, in his effort to integrate the individual into society.
structure of the superego
The superego consists of two components: the conscious and the ideal ego. We describe them below:
Moral conscience
The moral conscious is the part of the “superego” that prohibits unacceptable behaviors and punishes, for example with feelings of guilt when a person does something they shouldn’t.
It corresponds to the concepts that are considered morally bad. Generally, these concepts are internalized in the individual’s childhood stage, transmitted by the relationship with their parents or caregivers.
Studies carried out by John Terry Maltsberger in his article “contributions to the development of studies on suicide and self-attack “indicate that when this moral conscience fails in the superego, it becomes self-destructive, with suicidal behavior, becomes a “moralistic superego” to a “punitive superego”.
ideal ego
Like moral conscience, this concept is internalized in the individual’s childhood stage, transmitted by the relationship with their parents or caregivers and corresponds to the norms that are considered morally good.
functions of the superego
The functions of this component of personality can be generalized into the following:
Control the Self and the It
The “superego” is in charge of the function of moral conscience, which translates into a feeling of guilt as a result of the tension originated with the “ego”.
The “superego” demands that the “I” adhere to the norms and values acquired and that at times it is not capable of complying. And it is due to this inability, that the moral conscience of the “superego” can act hard and without contemplation against the “I”, whenever it has the opportunity.
Then, the “superego” watches, threatens and punishes the “ego”. How does the superego punish? For example, making the “I” feel a feeling of guilt for something that he should not have done.
The controlling figure over the “it” (the satisfaction of primitive instincts, punctures, among others), is carried out fulfilling the role of monitoring their actions, censoring what does not adhere to the norms and acquired values.
Internalize the norms and rules
From a very early age, the parents or caregivers of the child incorporate into their personality the behavior patterns prevailing in society, culture. It is the moment in which they instill in him the good and the bad, what is good and what is bad, the ideal of behavior in society.
At this moment the “superego” is being cultivated in the individual.
Integrate the individual into society
Through the process of internalization of norms and rules, the “superego” seeks the social acceptance of the individual, through behavior adjusted to socially acceptable canons.
Generate rational sensations
The “superego” imposes socially appropriate behaviors and contributes to generating rational sensory processes such as modesty, affection, control, moderation.
It is linked then, with the will that a person has to control their impulses and conform to the patterns of behavior towards society.
An example would be the expression of endearment, which occurs between two close people in different social settings. In a highly formal environment, surely the conduct would be shown by a handshake, but if the display of affection occurs in a less restrictive environment, the conduct would be a hug.
Impulse control
Among the functions of the “superego”, it is to counteract the “id”, that is, the drives, repressed desires, instincts and most elementary needs, stored in the unconscious, an instance to which the “id” belongs, and that somehow form they want to be manifested through unconscious behaviors in the individual.
Abide by the guidelines of social behavior
One of the main functions of the “superego”, and that it acquires to the extent that it is related to the environment and with other individuals that make up the social circle where it develops, is to conform to the prevailing social behavior patterns.
This, above all, due to the need for social acceptance, avoid rejection and avoid loneliness of the individual. Man has always needed to live in community, and he forms a social environment with those people whose behavior is similar.
In this sense, the “superego” chooses from the environment what is best for it and thus guarantee its survival.
In short, “the superego” is part of the personality of the individual. It is based on the principle of duty. It forms the strict ethical and moral behavior of the individual. On the other hand, the imbalance in the “superego” can cause serious personality disorders. It is the antonymous component of “it”.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.