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Chapter 2: Problem 8

Give an example from your own life of an undesirable id impulse overcoming the ego's restrictions and defenses.

Short Answer

Expert verified
A real life example of an id impulse overcoming the ego's restrictions and defenses is when an individual who usually follows a strict diet indulges in a calorie-rich dessert as a way to seek immediate comfort and pleasure after a stressful day.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Id, Ego and Superego

Begin by understanding Freud's psychoanalytic theory. The id represents innate desires and drives, acting according to the pleasure principle which demands immediate gratification. The Ego represents reason and sanity, it operates according to the reality principle and seeks to please the id’s drive in a realistic and socially appropriate manner, while the Super-ego incorporates the values and morals of society. It acts as the moral compass and inhibits the Id's impulse, persuading the Ego to substitute moralistic goals instead.
02

Identifying behaviors driven by the Id

Consider situations where immediate desires or needs overpowered reason or societal expectation. These are moments when the id impulse prevailed. This could be a moment of overindulging in food, neglecting duties to enjoy leisure activities, or responding rashly in anger.
03

Formulating the example

An example from real life could be: normally, a person maintains a structured diet and exercise routine (the Ego's restriction for maintaining health and societal expectations). However, when faced with a delicious yet calorie-rich dessert after a stressful day where comfort is sought (an id impulse), the individual caves in and overindulges in eating the dessert. Even though there is understanding of the repercussions on health and fitness regime (the Ego's defence), the immediate desire for comfort and gratification through food overpowers.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Give an example of a parapraxis from your own life, and suggest how Freud might interpret it. How would you interpret it?

Give an example from your own life of the superego being overly demanding and cruel to the ego.

By today's standards, Freud's views of women were clearly biased. To what extent (if any) should criticism of Freud take into account the era in which he lived?

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