Due to giving my undivided attention to more pressing matters, had I not been able to find the right time to write post.  Nonetheless, there is a topic I have been pondering over for the past few days. Even though I may have touched on it a while back, I felt the need to revisit it and elucidate on it slightly more. Today, I will address psychoanalisis and how it aided Sigmund Freud in understanding human behavior in a more effective manner.

 

To begin with, it would be of utmost importance to mention the main contributions to better comprehending the human psyche. So as to understand human unhappiness, Freud proposed that we were all driven by the "pleasure principle". Which usually leads us to easy physical and emotional rewards. Thus, if not tackled properly, it could make a person be unstable and lean towards faulty decision-making. Despite the fact that our frontal cortex prevents our primal instincts from taking over, an individual's upbringing and way of life ultimately make the difference. Consequently, the need for us to adjust to the "reality principle". In other words, the opposite of what was explained above. In fact, there are three parts of our mind which are constantly in conflict: The ID, driven by the pleasure principle. The superego, which is a desire to follow the rules. Lastly, the ego, which has to accommodate between the other two. For instance, a couple goes to a fast food restaurant and orders two meals. The cashier only charges them for one and fails to notice it. The couple knowing about this mistake could have left on the spot. Be that as it may, they decide to point out the mistake to the cashier and offer to pay for the other meal as well. The superego preventing the ego from getting away without doing what is right, and the ego making sure everything is in order.

 

What is more, we have got different phases throughout a person's physical development which affect their psyche. The first one being the oral phase. During this period in early childhood, we deal with different feelings of eating and digestion. If not trained properly during this time, a child may take pleasure in refusing some types of food. They could also seek food to calm themselves down. Besides, there is the anal phase, closely aligned to which is now called "potty training". During this period, our parents mostly tell us what to do or where to go. We also test the limits of authority during this time. If discipline is not encouraged to the right amount and taught properly, a child could become rebellious and misbehaving later on in life. Moreover, we have got the phallic phase which continues until the age of 6. During this period, children start developing sexual feelings. Hence, they direct their sexual impulses towards their parents. The most immediately available people. At this stage is where Freud proposed The Oedipus Complex on the one hand, where a male child is unconsciously predisposed towards being in love with his mother and hating his father. On the other hand, he put forth The Electra Complex, which is applied to a girl being in love with her father and hating her mother. Through a proper upbringing nonetheless, children can learn that there are limits to a parent's love and that there are certain things they are not allowed to do. These two propositions may tie into a child's concept of love later in life.

 

Finally, the ones listed above are but a few of the main concepts proposed by Dr. Freud. He also goes into "parapraxis" or slips of tongue, among others. His main contribution to psychology being psychoanalisis. A clinical method for treating mental disorders through the dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalist. In them the therapist mainly goes through the patient's dreams or "wish filfulments", the already mentioned "slips of tongue", and even the kind of jokes they make. As a result, being able to provide a more effective treatment for the patient.

 

Sources:

- The School of Life YouTube Channel.

- A General Introduction to Psychoanalisis (Sigmund Freud)