Oh, the ego ideal! What misery this little psychodynamic bug-a-boo causes us.
What is ego ideal?
Early on, Freud used both expressions ‘ideal ego‘ and ‘ego ideal’. Later, Freud (1921), (1923) abandoned the use of ‘ideal ego’ using the term ‘ego ideal’ which then became integrated into the term ‘super-ego’.
The ego ideal is the standard which the superego uses to continually beat the crap out of us. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t! There is no pleasing the superego.
What is really tragic about the situation is that most of us are being constantly tortured by the anti-libidinal force inherent in the superego while we try to effect an extreme makeover of themselves to become their ego ideal. All of this to finally get the love, acceptance, peace or understanding we deeply crave.
The ego ideal is deeply intertwined with the punitive part of our consciousness. The righteous have used this in the name of God, country, and the common good to beat, batter, and bruise others for their own good.
Taking the time to observe our minds and constant self-chatter reveals how much demeaning comparison is active in our daily lives.
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