What Is Ego Psychology? A Theory For Self-Understanding
Think back to your last discussion of “ego.” Perhaps you described someone as having a big ego or even reflected on your own ego in the context of a relationship, work, or group project.
It’s not uncommon to use this term to describe someone’s personality or presence in a certain context. However, the term ego has a unique historical meaning in the field of psychology.
In this article, we’ll unpack the historical meaning of ego, the use of ego psychology today, and five ways to develop a healthy ego and enhance your self-understanding.
What is ego psychology?
The APA defines ego psychology as a psychoanalytic approach that focuses on the role of your ego in controlling your impulses and assisting with planning and interacting with your external environment. Ego psychology tends to go beyond psychoanalytic drive theory and recognizes the role of sociocultural factors in development.
Examining the components of ego psychology
Ego psychology is built on the concept of the ego, which refers to an individual’s sense of self. It uses psychology to help patients address ego-related issues.
Below, you’ll find each of these components — the ego and psychology — explored in greater detail.
What is the ego?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the ego has two definitions:
“The self, particularly the conscious sense of self (Latin, ‘I’)”
"In psychoanalytic theory, the component of the personality that deals with the external world and its practical demands.”
According to psychoanalytic theory, the ego is the component of your personality that deals with the external world. It enables you to perceive, reason, conduct reality testing, and balance the demands of the id and the superego.
The superego is considered the moral component of your personality, stemming from parental demands and social standards. In essence, the superego is thought to dictate your sense of right and wrong.
The id is considered a more basic, instinctual component of the personality and contains your biological drives, including hunger and sex.
A brief history of psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis — also known as the Freudian approach or Freudianism — is a distinctive approach to psychological disorders developed by Sigmund Freud. One of its defining characteristics is the assumption that much of our mental activity is unconscious. According to this theory, psychoanalysts must interpret the subconscious meaning behind individuals’ overt, external behaviors.
While psychoanalysis has left an important legacy in psychiatry and psychology, some of its core beliefs are controversial. The following are considered some of the key limitations of this approach:
Some scientists cite a lack of empirical support for its claims and effectiveness.
It is based largely on clinical experience, with many hypotheses that cannot be challenged empirically.
The theory of child development has been refuted.
Like any therapeutic approach, psychoanalysis presents several limitations as well as possible benefits, depending on the patient’s condition, history, and personal needs. Psychologists continue to study the role of ego psychology in mental health, and psychoanalysis played a role in laying a foundation for future research.
How does ego affect your mental health?
As our understanding of personality develops, researchers have identified several ways that ego can influence your mental health and relationships.
Benefits of a healthy ego
While you might describe a self-absorbed person as egotistical, having an ego doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, provided it’s not leading a person to consider only their own interests. When you view your life as important and meaningful, you may be more likely to take calculated risks, pursue your ambitions, and even interact more authentically with others.
The following features of a healthy ego may lead to several benefits for your mental health, including:
Belief in your personal power and decision-making abilities
Healthier relationships
Stronger emotional control and willpower
Ego-resiliency, or the ability to flexibly adapt to difficult and stressful conditions
While these benefits are distinct, they are all related to a person’s fundamental belief in their own worth.
Characteristics of an unhealthy ego
When it comes to ego, too much of a good thing can negatively affect a person’s relationships and mental health. While an unhealthy ego can take various shapes, a person with a may exhibit the following characteristics:
Arrogance
A tendency to hide mistakes and weaknesses
Refusal to ask for help
Refusal to accept failure
Denial of pain or fear, even when these feelings present an opportunity to connect more vulnerably with others
When an ego grows out of control, a person’s sense of importance and confidence can become inflated, potentially threatening their relationships and performance at work.
Relatedly, an undersized ego can also be unhealthy. To sustain relationships and adapt to new challenges, a person generally needs confidence, mental strength, and flexibility, which may be found in a person with a right-sized ego.
Strategies to help develop a healthy ego
While a healthy ego is thought to be a part of self-understanding, it can take some time to develop and understand your sense of self.
Below are five strategies that might help you improve your mental health, maintain healthy relationships, and build a healthy ego:
1. Acknowledge the benefits of ego
At its core, a healthy ego may safeguard you from hurt, rejection, and other basic human fears. While you might have negative assumptions about big egos, recognizing your worth may help you work through uncomfortable feelings and tough experiences and ultimately enjoy the benefits of a healthy self-concept.
2. Ask for feedback
How often do you ask how you’re performing and showing up for others? In school or your profession, regular performance reports or report cards may provide feedback, but in your personal relationships and even casual encounters, you might not have details to assess your impact on other people. Left unchecked, a big ego can make someone appear arrogant and over-confident, and these traits tend to scare off potential friends and acquaintances.
If you’re unsure how you come off to other people, it may help to ask a friend or loved one for feedback on your strengths and potential areas for improvement. Whether you’re asking as a friend, partner, teammate, or coworker, an honest outside perspective may help you keep your ego in check and enjoy more fulfilling relationships.
3. Focus on self-esteem
Ego is thought to be related to self-esteem, which refers to how positively you view your personal qualities and characteristics. It can be shaped by your capabilities, accomplishments, and perceived success in living up to your values.
If you’re looking for ways to build self-esteem, some common strategies include:
Identify sources of low self-esteem, potentially with the support of a therapist.
Create a list of your strengths and weaknesses, which may challenge negative self-perceptions and provide a clearer view of yourself.
Practice positive self-talk or mantras. You can say them out loud, record them in a journal, or even write them on sticky notes to keep around your space.
Write down a list of your past accomplishments, as well as future goals.
These strategies may help you recognize your best qualities, appreciate your achievements, and form a clearer picture of where you’re heading next.
4. Invest in your hobbies
A well-managed ego tends to be associated with healthy levels of confidence and competence, which you may be able to develop in a hobby of your choosing. A hobby can offer a sense of purpose and an avenue to connect to yourself and your community. There are hundreds of possible hobbies you can choose from, but some common examples include:
Creating art, whether alone, with friends, or even in a club
Participating in team sports
Reading
Baking
Meditating or practicing yoga or another form of mindfulness
Whatever hobby you choose, the power of hobbies and other leisurely activities can extend far beyond the ego. Research suggests that people who engage in more leisure activities experience both psychological and physical benefits, including lower blood pressure, greater social support, and greater life satisfaction.
5. Talk to a therapist or mental health professional
The work of building your ego may feel like an independent journey, but a licensed therapist may be able to offer valuable, personalized insight. If you feel hesitant to visit a therapy practice, you might try online therapy, which allows you to connect with a therapist from home or anywhere you have an internet connection. With a platform like BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist who has training in ego psychology or any specific mental health topics of interest to you. You can communicate with them in a way that’s most comfortable to you—through phone, live chat, videoconferencing, or a combination of these methods.
Online mental health and ego psychology treatment
Numerous peer-reviewed studies show that online therapy can be just as effective as traditional in-person therapy. Recently, a 2021 study assessed the value of a web-based relationship program on participants’ relationships and mental health. The researchers found that participants’ relationship satisfaction improved compared to the control group's. There were also minor improvements in measures of anxiety and depression for the control group.
While this study reviewed just one online program, the results highlight the value of online interventions for partners, individuals, and others seeking to improve their self-esteem and relationships.
Takeaway
What does ego mean in psychology?
Ego refers to the self. It comes from Latin, translating to “I” in English (e.g., “ego te provoco” translates to “I dare you.”). In its quasi-technical sense, ego refers to all the psychological processes related to the self, compromising an individual’s attitudes, values, and beliefs. It was popularized by Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theory, which refers to the ego as the component of personality to deal with the external world. According to Freud, the ego enables an individual to reason, solve problems, and override instinctual impulses.
What are the id, ego, and superego?
The id, ego, and superego are the components of the unconscious mind discussed in psychoanalytical theories. Although Freud’s original psychoanalysis is no longer used today, it was one of the first theories to address concepts that would later be deeply dissected by fields like psychology, sociology, neurology, and behavioral science. According to the theory, the superego, ego, and id have significant influence over the conscious mind, and an imbalance between them causes maladaptive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.
The id represents the most primitive part of the human mind. It is the source of bodily needs, impulses, wants, and desires. It is concerned only with immediate satisfaction. The id demands what it wants without consideration of whether it is realistic or possible to achieve. In contrast, the ego forms the rational part of the mind. It gives rise to reason and common sense. The superego can be thought of as a conscience, a moral center that controls the mind’s sense of right or wrong. If any one of the three is not balanced with the others, mental health concerns can develop.
What is ego psychology?
Ego psychology is a school of thought common in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis. He theorized that balance between three unconscious systems in the mind—the id, ego, and superego—is required for the mind to function normally. The id refers to primal instincts and urges, the ego to logical thought, and the superego to morality and cultural norms. In psychoanalysis, the ego allows a person to think, reason, solve problems, and make decisions. Although the theory is no longer considered accurate, ego psychology remained popular in the United States until the fall of psychoanalysis in the 1960s.
Ego psychology is primarily concerned with the unconscious actions of a rational mind. Initially, Freud theorized that the ego was entirely conscious, similar to what today’s professionals would call executive function. It followed the reality principle, which refers to the ego’s ability to engage rationally with the external world. In contrast, the id, responsible for primal instincts, followed the pleasure principle, engaging with the external world only to satisfy bodily urges and desires.
Freud’s later theories postulated that unconscious elements of the ego are responsible for psychological defense mechanisms. His daughter, Anna Freud, focused much of her ego psychology work on unconscious ego defenses. In her book, The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense, she argues that the ego regulates the id through several defense mechanisms, many of which still exist in popular culture or have been refined to align with current scientific evidence. Some examples include repression, regression, projection, and splitting.
What do psychologists say about ego?
The ego, along with most of Freud’s original psychoanalytic theories, is not frequently discussed among most modern psychologists. Some of the fundamental concepts of psychoanalysis, such as the fact that unconscious mental processes exist, are still considered valid today. However, Freud’s explanations for how the mind functioned have been mostly replaced with more modern theories like cognitivism, behaviorism, and social psychology. Today, few psychologists reference the ego directly or use psychoanalysis in their practice, but many may find it an interesting way to illustrate certain concepts to their clients.
Is the ego a mental disorder?
No, ego is not a mental disorder. Ego typically refers to someone’s self-concept and sense of self-identity. In psychoanalysis, the ego is one of three unconscious brain systems that regulate a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. However, someone who is considered egotistical might meet the criteria for some mental disorders, such as narcissistic personality disorder. If someone’s inflated sense of self is disrupting their life and well-being, in-person or online therapy with a mental health professional may help.
What is an example of the ego?
In Freud’s psychoanalysis, the ego is responsible for conscious thought and deliberate actions. Any intentional choice or action a person undertakes can be considered an example of the ego. However, as Freud’s theories evolved, he began to consider unconscious elements of the ego. His work and the later work of his daughter, Anna, expanded its role to include psychological defense mechanisms. Sigmund and Anna Freud postulated that the ego was responsible for the defense functions proposed by psychoanalysis, such as repression, regression, projection, and splitting. Those defense mechanisms might also be good examples of the ego’s role.
What do we call a person with an ego?
When someone says that another person “has an ego,” they are usually implying that the person is self-absorbed, conceited, or self-centered. One term used to describe such a person is “egotistical.” An egoist is typically the opposite of an altruist. While an altruistic person tends to care about others and behave generously, an egotistical person is likely to care most about themselves and behave selfishly.
What did ego psychology emphasize most?
Ego psychology is a branch of psychoanalysis that studies the function of the ego, a theoretical component of the mind responsible for conscious thought, deliberate action, and unconscious defense mechanisms. While psychoanalysis originally considered the ego a conscious system, changes to the supporting theories quickly shifted focus to the ego’s role in unconscious psychological defense mechanisms.
The ego psychologists who came after the early psychoanalysts reverted the focus toward conscious mechanisms. They emphasized the importance of higher-order cognitive functions, such as motivation and self-regulation. Ego psychology marks one of the first evolutions of early mental health care, marking a shift from poorly supported theories like psychoanalysis to better-evidenced theoretical approaches, some of which are still supported today.
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