Analysis Of Sigmund Freud's Theories Of Personality

Sigmund Freud once stated, “The mind is like an iceberg it floats one-seventh of its bulk above water” (BrainyQuotes). The iceberg in his analogy refers directly to his theory of Psychoanalysis which focuses on the unconscious aspects of a person’s personality (Rana). Freud’s theory has many alluring topics but the most compelling of them is the structure of personality. This structure consists of three factors the id, the ego, and the superego which he believes explains why personalities vary between people (Lilienfeld). The id is where the pleasure principle hides, this is the part of the personality that puts ones pleasure above any other need and aims for instant gratification (Lilienfeld). Moreover, it is the part of the iceberg that is submerged under water meaning that it is an unconscious need that a person would not be able to access (Lilienfeld). …show more content…
For example, the id would be the impulse to watch TV even though one might have an important task to attend to; while the ego would be to watch TV after finishing said task. To clarify, the ego is the rational part of the conscious mind that the book states as, “The boss of personality” (Lilienfeld). Then finally there is the superego where a person’s morality comes into play allowing them to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. These three component play an important role in Freud’s theory and allow for a deeper look into someone’s character and who they are as a person. In fact, Julie Peters from the Tamaki’s graphic novel Skim is a good example of Freud’s structure of