Freud's Theory of Human Personality

Freud’s theory of human personality is the theory most of us would be able to relate to. Freud claims that Human behaviour is determined by “inner forces” that a person has little to no control over. He then went on to divide this behaviour or human personality into three elements: the id, the ego and the superego. The id is the instinctive element that is present from birth and is comprised of a person’s most basic biological needs such as hunger. The id seeks instant gratification and therefore produces a feeling of anxiety and tension. It tries to relieve this tension through the primary process which creates an image of the desired object in the mind as a substitute. The ego is the part of us that deals with reality. It tries to satisfy the id in a realistic and socially appropriate way by finding a real object that is equivalent to the mental image created by the id’s primary process. The superego now guides our conscience and basically handles our moral dilemmas.