Forever at odds.


Id: Meeting basic needs. The id is the most basic part of the personality, and wants instant gratification for our wants and needs. If these needs or wants are not met, a person becomes tense or anxious. 

Ego: Dealing with reality. The ego deals with reality, trying to met the desires of the id in a way that is socially acceptable in the world. This may mean delaying gratification, and helping to get rid of the tension the id feels if a desire is not met right away. The ego recognizes that other people have needs and wants too, and that being selfish is not always good for us in the long run.

Superego: Adding morals. The superego develops last, and is based on morals and judgements about right and wrong. Even though the superego and the ego may reach the same decision about something, the superegos reason for that decision is more based on moral values, while the egos decision is based on what others will think or what the consequences of an action could be.
 My brother is a very good person. He's kind and gentle and conscientious to everyone, but he drives me insane. Sometimes, so insane that I can't control my temper. I feel as if I know what I should say, but then I imagine what his stupid expression would look like, and I lose my mind. He says things that make no sense to me, and I can feel the battle in my brain to be kind and understanding or to simply yell and scream as usual. 

He leaves the toilet seat up, washes dishes and leaves them dirty, doesn't bathe, and talks to me as if I know nothing when he still lives at home at 29. Each and every time we get into an argument my Id just wants to tell him these things and yell at him for being a loser, but my superego is battling with it to be kind because he doesn't do these things intentionally. My poor ego is just caught in the middle trying to tell me that yelling will only make everything worse, because he will only get angry and yell back.

I hate the battle of wills, but I understand that it is a system of checks and balances. Each of the three parts has its own desire and there needs to be a counterbalance to this desire. Otherwise, we would either not speak or run wild constantly.