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The superego acts to perfect and civilize our behavior. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to make the ego act
upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles. The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. According to
Freud, the key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.
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C. Defense Mechanism
Defenses are the processes by which the contents of our unconscious are kept in the unconscious. In other words, they are the processes by which
we keep the repressed in order to avoid knowing what we feel we can’t handle knowing.
21
We have probably heard people talk about defense mechanisms, or ways that we protect ourselves from things that we dont want to think
about.
In some areas of psychology, psychologists talk about defense mechanisms, or manners in which we behave or think in certain ways to better
protect or defend ourselves. Defense mechanisms are one way of looking at how people distance themselves from a full awareness of unpleasant thoughts,
feelings and behaviors.
One important aspect of Freudian theory which has become fully integrated into both everyday speech and mainstream psychology is the idea of
20
Loc. Cit.
21
Lois Tyson, Critical Theory Today, A User-Friendly Guide united State of America on Acid-Free Paper, 2006, second edition, p. 15
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ego-defences.
22
In order to deal with conflict and problems in life, Freud stated that the ego employs a range of defense mechanisms. Defense
mechanisms operate at an unconscious level and help ward off unpleasant feelings i.e. anxiety or make good things feel better for the individual. If the
ego is obliged to admit its weakness, it breaks out in anxiety regarding the outside world, moral anxiety regarding the superego, and neurotic anxiety
regarding the strength of the passions in the id. Freud 1933, p78.
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Most defense mechanisms are fairly unconscious that means most of us don’t realize we’re using them in the moment. Some types of
psychotherapy can help a person become aware of what defense mechanisms they are using, how effective they are, and how to use less primitive and more
effective mechanisms in the future.
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1. Primitive Defense Mechanisms
a.
Denial
Denial is probably one of the best known and the most primitive of the defense mechanisms, used often to describe situations
in which people seem unable to face reality or admit an obvious truth. Denial is an outright refusal to admit or recognize that something has
occurred or is currently occurring. Many people use denial in their everyday lives to avoid dealing with painful feelings or areas of their
22
Maat Jarvis, Theoretical Approaches in Psychology US by tailor Francis, inc, 2000, p. 36.
23
McLeod, S. A. 2009. Defense Mechanisms - Simply Psychology Defense Mechanisms – Simply Psychology. Retrieved from
file:H:hilya27sdefense mechanisms.htmlhttp: www.simplypsychology.orgdefense-mechanisms.html
. Accessed on 24 June 2013.
24
Ibid. McLeod, Defense Mechanism.
