Id

By James Harvey Stout (deceased). This material is now in the public domain. The complete collection of Mr. Stout's writing is now at http://stout.mybravenet.com/public_html/h/ >

 

 

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  1. What is the id?

What is the id? According to Freud, the id is the part of the psyche which has the following characteristics:

  1. The id contains our drives and instincts, particularly our instincts of aggression and sex.
  2. The id contains our repressed elements: our thoughts, images, emotions, etc.
  3. The id is depicted as an irrational, unsocial force which must be controlled by the ego and superego. Some of that control is in the form of "sublimation," i.e., using the energy of the repressed elements in a constructive manner; for example, we might divert some of our aggression into sports.

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