Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud

Founder of Psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 in Czechia and was a neurologist in Austria before becoming the most famous psychologist in the world. 

Freud is known as the "Founder of Psychoanalysis" 

He believed people were controlled more by their unconscious thoughts and feelings than they realized. He felt psychoanalysis (lying on a couch and talking about your experiences, dreams, thoughts and feelings) could help the patient come to important realizations that would improve the quality of their lives.

His classic text ,  The Interpretation of Dreams  sold slowly at first but later became more popular and was published in several languages. Freud believed dreams revealed our repressed wishes and desires and that it was important to pay attention to them and try to understand the symbolism  in our often seemingly nonsensical dreams.  

Freud is also known for many controversial theories including the idea that humans have an ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO.

Freud believed humans struggled with three layers of personality in constant conflict. The Id, Ego, and Superego.

The Id represents the unconscious part of our psyche. It is interested only in pleasure and seeks to avoid pain. If the Id could have its way we would eat too much, watch too much TV, and never clean our rooms or do our homework or anything that we did not enjoy.

Freud thought of the Superego as the part of our psyche that tells us what's right and wrong and tries to keep us from doing everything the Id wants us to do. It's the part that wants us to be good and do the right thing and makes us feel guilty if we don't. 

Freud considered the Ego to be the conscious part of our brain that mediates between the Id and the Superego and makes practical decisions about our behavior. It tries to satisfy the Id in socially acceptable ways and deal with the feelings of shame inflicted upon us by our Superego.

A civilization which leaves so large a number of its participants unsatisfied and drives them into revolt neither has nor deserves the prospect of a lasting existence.

This quote was attributed to Freud. What do you think it means? Do you agree with it?