Or, we make goals for our future that would only be possible if we could completely control our id (I.E. We tell ourselves that we’ll never succumb to temptation again. So, we delude ourselves into thinking our base desires have on effect on us. We often try not to identify with the id because it’s the part of our mind that is the most like an animal - it acts purely on instinct. The key to living harmoniously with the id is acknowledging its existence. Our intellectual desire to get in shape isn’t always as powerful as our emotional desire to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. And, whether we like it or not, emotions have a powerful influence over our behavior. When we eat junk food, do drugs, gamble, or spend 5 hours mindlessly staring at a screen it’s because the Id values instant gratification above all else. Our most obviously bad decisions can be blamed on the Id. One of the great shortcomings of the id is that according to Freud, “There is nothing in the id which corresponds to the idea of time.”(1) The id seeks immediate gratification, even if doing so has future consequences. The Id has no scruples about cheating or lying to get what it wants, and it has no concern for the fact that smoking a cigarette will endanger your long-term health. The id is instinctual, illogical, and completely amoral. The Id is driven by what Freud called the “pleasure principle.” Put simply, the Id’s agenda is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. One part of wants to be a faithful husband, but another finds the danger of having an affair to be exciting. One part of our mind wants to donate all our money to charity, but another part wants to make it rain.
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We’ve all experienced this inner-tension, one part of our mind wants six-pack abs, but another part wants a six-pack of beer.
![id superego id superego](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wAKZmfiLMq0/hqdefault.jpg)
Psychologist Russ Harris writes, “Today’s middle class lives better than did the royalty of not so long ago, and yet, human misery is everywhere.” Why is it that we still experience so much suffering today, even though we have unlimited access to food, entertainment, and material comfort? Because of the war we wage against ourselves - the different parts of our psyche have contradictory desires that give rise to internal conflict. 30% of Americans suffer from a recognized psychiatric disorder (like anxiety or depression).The average American watches 5 hours of television per day and spends 5 hours per day on their mobile device.Less than 3% of Americans have what can be considered a healthy lifestyle.If we’re at war with ourselves, most of us aren’t winning: