PERSONALITY 1.3

PERSONALITY 1.3

[THEORIES OF PERSONALITY]

I. Introvert - Extrovert Theory

II. Type 'A' - Type 'B' Theory

Type A: They are hard working, impatient, aggressive, competitive  high achievement oriented, productive and workaholic.

note: The following are the characteristics of the type A personality,

• Type A’s has got a severe sense of time urgency. 
• They are always running and can hardly relax. If they sat without doing something useful they may end up feeling guilty.
• Type A’s are over achievers, they usually get themselves involved in many different unrelated activities and perform well in them all.
• Type A's biggest problem is stress, they are usually overwhelmed by the amount of tasks they have to do. These tasks are usually a huge list that they planned for themselves.
• Type A is usually competitive and has a high challenging spirit.
• They find it difficult to stop, even when they have achieved goals.
• They feel the pressure of time, constantly working flat out.
• They are almost over achievers. They hate failure and will work hard to avoid it.
• They are generally pretty fit and often well-educated (a result of their anxiety).

Type B: They are easy going, social, not time bound, better with work involving judgement.

note: The following are the characteristics of the type A personality,

• Type B personality is almost the opposite of Type A.
• This type of person is relaxed by nature and has no sense of time urgency.
• Type Bs have got no problems relaxing or sitting without doing anything.
• Type Bs may delay the work they have to the last moment and they usually don't get stressed that easily.
• Type B could be an achiever too as his lack of sense of time urgency helps him much in not feeling stressed while doing his tasks.
• The Type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level.
• They work steadily, enjoying achievements but not becoming stressed when they are not achieved.
• When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game.
• They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts.
• They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds.

III. Id, Ego and Superego Theory

This Theory is composed of three elements: Id, Ego and Super Ego all developing at different stages in our lives. These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical. 

The id (or it)

Id is the original and the most basic system of human personality. The id consists of all the inherited (i.e. biological) components of personality. The id is the impulsive (and unconscious) part of our psyche which responds directly and immediately to the instincts. The personality of the newborn child is all id and only later does it develop ego and super-ego. The id demands immediate satisfaction and when this happens we experience pleasure, when it is denied we experience ‘unpleasure’ or pain. The id is not affected by reality, logic or the everyday world. On the contrary, it operates on the pleasure principle which is the idea that every wishful impulse should be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences. It demands immediate pleasure at whatever cost. Id is largely childish, irrational, never satisfied, demanding and at times destructive to others.  

The Ego (or I)

As an individual learns to separate the unreality from reality in childhood, the ego develops. The ego is the reality oriented part in thinking, it is largely practical. This is associated with the realities of life. With its logic and intellect, ego of a person keeps the Id in check. The ego develops in order to mediate between the unrealistic id and the external real world. Ideally the ego works by reason whereas the id is chaotic and totally unreasonable. The ego operates according to the reality principle, working our realistic ways of satisfying the id’s demands, often compromising or postponing satisfaction. Like the id, the ego seeks pleasure and avoids pain but unlike the id the ego is concerned with devising a realistic strategy to obtain pleasure.  Freud made the analogy of the id being the horse while the ego is the rider. Often the ego is weak relative to the head-strong id and the best the ego can do is stay on, pointing the id in the right direction. 

The Superego (or above I)

The super ego is the higher level force to restrain the Id. It represents noblest thoughts, ideals, feelings. It is also labeled as 'ego-ideal' that tells the individual what is acceptable. The superego incorporates the values and morals of society which are learned from one's parents and others. It also has the function of persuading the ego to turn to moralistic goals rather than simply realistic ones and to strive for perfection. The superego consists of two systems: The conscience and the ideal self. The conscience can punish the ego through causing feelings of guilt.  For example, if the ego gives in to id demands, the superego may make the person feel bad though guilt. The ideal self (or ego-ideal) is an imaginary picture of how you ought to be, and represents career aspirations, how to treat other people, and how to behavior as a member of society. Behavior which falls short of the ideal self may be punished by the superego through guilt. The super-ego can also reward us through the ideal self when we behave ‘properly’ by making us feel proud. 

note: (i) Id requires instant pleasure/ gratification. (ii) Ego wants reality. (iii) Super-ego goes for perfection. 

(to be continued...)