The id, ego, and superego are all a part of the psychoanalytic theory created by Sigmund Freud. This theory explains how the human mind can be divided into three different parts; the unconscious, preconscious, and the conscious mind. How could this theory affect the students at Broad Run?
To begin, what exactly are the id, ego, and superego? The id is described to crave immediate gratification and pleasure. This part of our mind lives in our unconscious mind as it focuses on our pleasure principle. The pleasure principle is essentially a force to gratify our wants and needs, such as hunger or thirst. The id strives to achieve immediate pleasure without pain or consequence. It focuses on its biological instinct, which is life and destruction, otherwise known as Eros and Thanatos.
On the contrary, the superego is the part of our unconsciousness that focuses on morals and rules. The superego is a part of our psyche that changes and evolves as humans learn what is right and wrong. This part usually develops as a child. It is sometimes described as the “boss” as it penalizes the id and ego if they go against its wishes, which to us feels like guilt or shame. The superego is both conscious and unconscious, and tells us how to be the “perfect” us. It is built off of society’s expectations and our personal experiences.
The id and superego are depicted to constantly be in fights, which is where the ego comes in. The ego is our conscious self. The ego acts as the mediator between the demanding id and the moralistic superego. It considers consequences and delays gratification when necessary.
The three consciousnesses can have a big impact on one’s character and decision-making. This includes the students of Broad Run. It is common to see students procrastinate and stress over work, which causes them to make a schedule, or completely throw away the assignment as a whole. Arwen Alvesteffer states “I procrastinate when I have homework, because I would prefer to do something that I would enjoy more.” Students often want time to themselves, and so they hold off work in order to do what they desire, such as playing video games or texting.
Even though we might be doing what we want, we still may feel guilty or nervous because we aren’t doing any work. Sophia Nabih says “If I procrastinate, I tend to feel regret that I didn’t start my work earlier when I had the time.” This is the superego trying to tell the ego not to listen to the id by making it feel negative emotions. They communicate similarly to siblings trying to figure out where to go for vacation, except instead of a vacation, it’s what the ego should do.
This disagreement between what we should do causes the ego to take action. The ego wants to please both the id and superego, so it comes up with a solution. For instance, the ego may decide on a balanced schedule where the student will have a certain amount of time to work and a certain amount of time to themselves, such as the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique was made by Francesco Cirillo and is the process of working for about 25 minutes and then taking a productive 5-minute break, and repeating. This could be a good way to stay productive while not overworking yourself.
Students at Broad Run are also affected by the three consciousness when it comes to their overall achievements in school. Many students are motivated by the id to become the best, whether it be becoming the valedictorian or the best football player on their team. The ego and superego can then fabricate a solid plan to achieve this goal. This shows how the id, ego, and superego can truly work in harmony when under the right circumstances. In the end, all students at Broad Run are consistently being affected by the psychological theory, for good, or for bad.