ID, Ego, Super-Ego using the famous as placeholders

Looking at the Freudian view of Id, Ego and Super-Ego, sometimes it's handy to view it by giving it handles, or short hands, symbols or something.

Consider the Id. Think, Charley Sheen, in his current metamorphosis.

Chuck Lorre (one of my favorite guys) with Charlie

"It is the dark, inaccessible part of our personality, what little we know of it we have learned from our study of the dream-work and of the construction of neurotic symptoms, and most of that is of a negative character and can be described only as a contrast to the ego." -- Sigmund Freud, "New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis" [1933] (Penguin Freud Library 2)

Consider the Ego. Think, Dr. Phil

"The Ego acts according to the reality principle; i.e. it seeks to please the id’s drive in realistic ways that will benefit in the long term rather than bringing grief." -- Mead, Merrill (Feb. 1984). "Ego Development and Psychopathology: A Study of Hospitalized Adolescents"

Consider the Super-Ego.Think, Your Mom (yes, Mom, considering everyone has one, I'm stretching it to say, Mom's, are famous).

"The Super-ego works in contradiction to the id. The Super-ego strives to act in a socially appropriate manner, whereas the id just wants instant self-gratification. The Super-ego controls our sense of right and wrong and guilt. It helps us fit into society by getting us to act in socially acceptable ways." -- Snowden, Ruth (2006). "Teach Yourself Freud" McGraw-Hill.

So now that we've gotten that out of the way, consider this, you are sitting in a room with Charlie Sheen, Dr. Phil, and yes, your Mom. A really hot girl walks by (okay okay, a really hot guy, if you're female, or gay, or bi, or confused, or whatever). 

Your Charlie thought is first and it is:

"Oh my God, Baby! Hmmm.... How can I have sex with that girl?"

(okay OKAY, maybe it's a guy, whichever! geez....).


But you're thinking, "I want", and "how do I get"; you are fully motivated to getting instantly what you want. 

First off, that is just stupid. If you could have every girl (guy) you wanted, instantly, well, how boring would THAT be? You'd be like that guy in the Twlight Zone episode who was a gambler and wanted to always win. After about one night he was ready to kill himself as he had no more thrill and he realized that it wasn't the winning, it was the thrill, the anticipation, the fear of losing, the many things OTHER things than the simple winning, or "getting", that turned him on. Sad, it was.


So, its about here now that Dr. Phil looks at you, KNOWS what you're thinking and says in that ridiculous southern drawl that goes in and out with his speech:


"You know, you should just go up to her if you want her, maybe straighten up a bit, maybe think about how you could get her just a little bit more; think, consider her feelings, you see, that will help you get laid. Be nice first off, engage in conversation. Talk about anything BUT sex. Entice her. Think about all the ways you can be clever and achieve your goal. Carpe Diem, Dude!"

Okay, no I didn't forget, same goes for if it were a guy. 


So what are we missing? Oh yes, Mom. So Mom says:


"No. You don't need her. Go find a nice girl, marry her, have a job, education first. Get engaged for a LONG time, let ME meet her and decide if she's right for you. Or just refuse to have sex or think about sex, or know about sex. Maybe you should go to church, or start building a nice jigsaw puzzle."


About just this time, you're probably losing your lust for the... person.


Welcome, to the Id/Ego/SuperEgo (I/E/SE) conundrum. Now you can understand why people are so screwed up, huh?


So, who is usually going to win out? 

Quite depends upon your make up as a person, don't you think? Your genetics, your evolution as a human being (no, not that kind of evolution, I mean SINCE you were born, socially, psychologically, etc.), who has been in your environment and what has that environment been to you; and, oh yes, let's not forget, luck. 

Why do I bring this all up? I don't know. I have watched a bunch of Charlie Sheen videos this week. It made me start to think about the I/E/SE thing. How nice it would be if we could be all Id, like Charlie, or House on, you know, the TV show, "House" (Love that show), or Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) on TVs "Lie to Me" (Love that show). Why do I like these shows? Because these are characters who do whatever they want, or think the want, or think needs to be done with no consideration for anyone else.

What a dream, yes?

But at House shows rather frequently, he wonders about the things he does, the pain he causes, but he realizes he is basically a sociopath, not so different than a serial killer, except that he is a doctor, sworn to save lives, and is oriented toward that; and so, he continues on.

God, what a relief that would be, don't you think? No concerns for reaction, or pain, or consequences.

Well, yes, but I am quite content with my pseudo safe, calm, quiet life. For now. But who knows what the future may bring. Charlie wasn't always like this. Was he?