Question

Why are ID and Superego useful in understanding human psychology?

Answer 1

The id is the part of the personality structure that contains a human's basic, instinctual drives that are particularly sexual and aggressive in nature. The id is largely unconscious and acts according to the "pleasure principle". In other words, it is motivated by the tendency to seek immediate gratification of any impulse. On the other hand, the superego represents the human conscience. It reflects the internalization of cultural rules, mainly taught by parental and other authority figures. The superego is guided by the “morality” principle and aims for perfection.

The id and the superego are useful for understanding human psychology as individual personality is the result of the balance achieved by these forces and how they act upon the ego. The super-ego works in contradiction to the id as it strives to act in a socially appropriate manner, whereas the id just wants instant self-gratification. Because the super-ego's demands often oppose the id's, the ego sometimes has a hard time in reconciling the two.