Superego

Superego is the part of personality that is responsible for internalizing social values and moral ideas.

According to Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud, the personality structure consists of three parts: id, ego, and superego. Among them, the superego begins to form when a child is about 5 years old. It represents social values, especially those upheld by parents, and follows the principle of perfection. It is the reason why individuals feel guilty, ashamed, and embarrassed when they do something “wrong,” and proud when they do something “right.” People form superego early in life by internalizing the social rules that parents or caregivers identify with. Conscience grows out of punishment or disapproval, while ideals emerge because of praise or acceptance. Conscience punishes individual for their misconduct by generating a sense of guilt, and ideal encourages rules-abiding behaviors by generating a sense of pride. Improper upbringing may hinder the formation of superego in the...