Ego

Topic

In psychoanalysis, the ego is the realistic and conscious part of the psyche that mediates between the instinctual desires of the id and the moral constraints of the superego. Developed by Sigmund Freud as part of his structural model of the mind, it operates on the reality principle to satisfy basic drives in socially acceptable ways. In broader philosophical and psychological contexts, the term also refers to an individual's sense of self-esteem, identity, or personal worth.