a substitute for, an instinctual satisfaction which has remained in abeyance; its is a consequence of the process of repression. Repression proceeds from the ego when the ego [which has been swayed by the superego] refuses to associate itself with an instinctual cathexis which has been aroused in the id." In order to understand this, one must first have knowledge of the id, ego, and superego. Briefly, the id is the human instinct; it is self-centered and seeks complete and instant gratification at any expense. The superego begins to develop later in life (5-8years of age) and is influenced by society. Think of the superego as your conscience. Society and the person create "right and wrong". So, it might be said that, the superego is a person's moral character. That leaves the ego, which is the mediator of arguments, in the form of impulses and wishes, from the id and superego. It is responsible for a person's actions. It has the ability to choose which impulses from the id are satisfied. The superego can communicate why a certain action could be harmful to oneself or other people, and the ego must choose if satisfying the wish of the id is worth the risk. Coming back to the previous quote, Freud believes that symptoms arise when the ego decides not to allow correct satisfaction of an impulse from the id. However, since the ego realizes that something must be done to stop the impulse, it creates a symptom, which indirectly satiates the id. While this seems to work in the short term, problems eventually arise as the id realizes it has been fooled. An example of this process begins with idea of an Oedipus Complex. This is a strong sexual attraction towards one's own mother during early childhood. Freud explains this process by use of a phobia of 'Little Hans'. The young lad had an overwhelming fear of horses, especially horse-bites. Freud relates this fear to a fear of castration by the father. Freud believes that since ...
