Instead it takes the decision you've already made (based upon your current state and conditioning, done subconsciously) and then finds a way to rationalize and justify it based upon what you think of yourself. So your higher brain, the part you know as "you", doesn't actually decide anything. Instead of having three competing selves, we more accurately have a subconscious decider and a conscious narrator. I think modern science has it figured out better than that now. Personally I don't like the whole Id, Ego, Superego breakdown.
#Ego superego and id code
The sociopath has a superego that constructs a complete set of moral code that individual must follow, in so much as it helps it maintain the sociopath in its endeavors. The Superego is only lawful in the sense of it is only interested with the motivations and higher meaning of things. It has to supply the Id's urge while meeting the moral standard of the Super Ego. The Ego is only neutral in the sense that it has to deal with the reality of the world. Sort of, but not because of the right reason. If you're looking for what makes you a good person, look to the ego, as morality isn't just about doing what other people want you to do - it's learning to balance healthy self-interest with the needs of others. It is closer to a little voice that says "no one will like you if you do this." It can be quite mean, and is not necessarily moral as much as it is pro-social, focused on the potential negative consequences. It is not what makes you want to do the right thing. So the id never thinks about what other people want, the super-ego doesn't care about what you want, and the ego decides how much of each to allow.ĮDIT: I feel like I should qualify the super-ego's role. It organizes the demands of the other two and is closest to what you think of as your mind. It's sort of the Goldilocks "just right," taking into account what the id wants you to do (eat nothing but cookies for every meal of every day) and the super-ego's guilt-tripping and people-pleasing (never eating cookies and giving them to your little brother so he likes you more, or because mom or dad say they're bad for you). It's what keeps you from hitting your little brother because you know that no one will want to play with someone who lashes out when they're angry. The super-ego is what helps you decide to wait until after dinner to eat the cookie, or to ask your mom or dad for permission first. It's what makes you want to take something that you like, but it is also what makes you want to hit your little brother. The id is the bit of your mind that makes you want to take a cookie when you see it on the counter.