What is the id?
I've been reading through this book and some other stuff by Freud and I'm wondering - what is the id, really? Is the id what we REALLY are? Is it some kind of shared identity for people across cultures? Is it kind of like the biological memory in evolution theory? Anyway, it's just really interesting to think about.
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below you will find the definition of id from Changing Minds; all in all, is this who we are? Well, I guess it is if you're a fan of Freud. I think it's a bunch of hogwash, but I've also taken all of my courses on this and find it's just better to go with the flow and keep beliefs out of it. Yes, it's just a theory, but it's an interesting theory.
The Id contains our primitive drives and operates largely according to the pleasure principle, whereby its two main goals are the seeking of pleasure and the avoidance of pain.
It has no real perception of reality and seeks to satisfy its needs through what Freud called the primary processes that dominate the existence of infants, including hunger and self-protection.
The energy for the Id's actions come from libido, which is the energy storehouse.
The id has 2 major instincts:
Eros: the life instinct that motivates people to focus on pleasure-seeking tendencies (e.g., sexual urges).
Thanatos: the death instinct that motivates people to use aggressive urges to destroy.
Ego
Source(s): http://changingminds.org/explanations/personality/freud_personality.htm
