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CriticaLink | Freud: On Narcissism | Terms

superego

In Freud's three-part model of the mind, the superego plays the role of an internal monitor over the actions of the ego. Developing as individuals assimilate the standards of their families and cultures, the superego maintains the image of the ideal ego toward which the ego strives, and also serves as the center of "conscience"--and source of guilt. Where the ego works to sustain the individual's connection with the reality of the outside world, the superego works to sustain the individual's aspirations to the ideal. Conflicts among the superego, ego, and the id are managed in part through the processes of repression and sublimation.