Freud and the art of being ‘up yourself’
Posted on: Thursday, September 29, 2016 Category: Blog (57)Uncategorized (58)
2 min read
We all know about Freud right? It’s all your mother’s fault!?
Regarded as the father of modern psychology, and known for his most controversial but, at the time, groundbreaking psychoanalytical research, Sigmund Freud’s work on the unconsciousness still matters today.
The idea of someone having an ego or being egotistical comes from Freud’s theories of personality development. The negative traits associated with someone who is egotistical (or ‘up themselves’) however, does not come from their ego, rather their id, and a failure in the development of a superego.
Freud proposed three parts of the human psyche; the id, ego and superego.
ID: is an unorganised, primitive structure based on instinctual drives and humanistic needs. It follows a “pleasure principle” where it remains restless until needs or wants are satisfied.
EGO: forms later in life, and attempts to mediate the ID’s impulses with the demands of reality.
SUPEREGO: is the final structure to form, and it is an internalisation of cultural rules that are usually imposed by social and parental teachings. Residing in our unconscious, it works in contradiction to the ID, seeking perfection while maintaining the egos’ goals and motivations. At the development of the superego, the ego then acts as a mediator between the id and superego, and the ultimatum for decisions.
How does this relate to your personal brand? While considered outdated in the world of psychology, Freud’s theories hold some merit in how to develop and portray your personal brand;
- Don’t succumb to your id.
Your brand is not about you, it’s about others. What you create is to serve others’ needs. Narcissism or self-centredness has no place in your brand. Brands are about giving, not getting. - Try to make your brand boundless and unrestricted. It is art after all, and art is made to engage and explore the deeper parts of human imagination.
- Do not succumb to the superego’s rules. Take risks with your brand, it’s your story.
- Your superego will tell you to play it safe and stick with what has already been done, what you were taught. Great personal brands break those rules.
- While your id and superego battle it out for dominance over what your brand will be, it is still your brand. You can define what you project.
Embrace your ego, and go with the decision it has made, do not stay dwelling on it. Back yourself and others will follow.
