Definition of Ego.
The ego in Psychological term refers to the conscious Sense of self. Our identity and the narratives we believe to be true about ourselves. Everything that follows ‘I’ . In Freudian psychology, the ego acted as a manager between our impulses, external reality and internalized societal rules.
Ego as A Complex ;
Carl Jung saw the ego as a complex with it’s own feeling toned contents just like other Complexes.
The cluster of memories, beliefs, voices, perception, desires and feelings centered around the ego are what we shall call the Ego.
The ego, unlike other complexes, is the only conscious complex.
It’s a question however if the ego is purely conscious or only partly conscious since it starts forming around age 3 before consciousness arrives at 7.
Formation of the Ego.
The ego starts to form at around age 3.
Experiences with Parents and caretakers form the foundational block to the formation of the ego especially when the ego identifies itself with these experiences.
An inflated ego might form out of extremely positive experiences such as over pampering, positive experiences lead to a formation of a strong ego while negative experiences such as Abuse, Neglect, abandonment or critscism leads to a formation of an insecure or defensive ego.
Teachers, Society (religion, school, media) and peers equally have an impact to the formation of the ego.
Events and outcomes such as failure, Loss and success equally factor in.
Data from these experiences especially with positive and negative emotional intensity lead to a formation of memories. Memories have meanings, feelings and reactions. When the ego identifies itself with the experiences, the meaning is attached to a Sense of self (The ego). Abandonment might become ‘I’m unworthy’, ‘Mistakes might become I’m a failure’, critiscism might mean ‘I’m unworthy of success.’
Memories associated with Traumatic experiences of betrayal, embarrassment, abuse or abandonment are Repressed to the unconscious leading to formation of unconscious complexes.
Experiences and beliefs that are incompatible with the ego are Repressed and forgotten to the Unconcious leading to formation of unconscious complexes. Traits that conflict the Ego’s sense of self are exiled to the unconscious shadow complex. Desires that are contrary to the ego’s get repressed.
Positive experiences that leads to excitement might cause or lead to a desire to relive them while painful experiences have aversive effects.
The Big Myth.
To many of us, one conscious sense of self is that we are (the ego is) in control. This is idea that most experts and professionals cycle would vehemently deny and argue against. While the ego is always in control most of the time, there are moments when it gets bypassed by unconcious complexes which have their own wills, wishes, desires and lives.
Carl Jung said;
” We are not really masters in our houses”
Sometimes without awareness, the ego’s intentions gets interrupted, sometimes the Ego’s choices are interfered with, sometimes the Ego’s perception is hijacked.
While the Ego complex is the only conscious complex, their lies other complexes underneath it with their own tensions, desires, intentions, memories and lives. They’re autonomous in nature ie; the ego isn’t in control of them.
This include; Mother complex, Father Complex, Animus/Anima Complex, Victim complex etc.
Jung Believed that these complexes had their own personalities and Psychological makeup with their own wills. They had capacity to upset the stomach, interrupt one’s speech, interfere with one’s (Ego’s ) intentions or take over one’s behaviour.
Carl jung likened it to an Individual being interrupted by another human being from the outside who he cant see.
Let’s take a case example of an individual who decides or wishes to be an artist. Makes a vow to be self-disciplined and starts taking on risks beyond his comfort zone. But as the individual gets close to the success mark ‘he’ self-sabotages his plans . Note the pronoun ‘he’ in quotations. The individual might not be aware that an unconcious inferiority complex that was threatened by the ego’s intentions interfered out of fear to lose it’s identity or risks exposing it to critiscism/judgement which is aversive of or the success will ruin it’s narrative of “I’m unworthy of success”.
The takeover happens in form of possession of the decision wheel prompting the ego to momentarily lose control ie; When a shy person suddenly becomes arrogant when a power or shadow complex stages a coup and takes over.
The same can be demonstrated by Enantiodromia where the ego loses control by going in state that’s quite opposite to it’s usual norm. The self disciplined individual becomes lazy, the Calm individual becomes chaotic, the happy person becomes frustrated while the optimistic becomes Persimmistic.
The same is demonstrated when the ego’s intentions to say something gets interrupted by another complex that one say’s something else, plans by the ego to escape a toxic relationship are thwarted by the Victim complex which thrives or gets it’s sense of self through Victimhood. Intentions to ask for forgiveness are thwarted by the Superiority complex.
Effects of The Ego Complexes.
•An Unhealthy ego leads to conflicts in social relationships for instance through projection.
•Over identification leads to loss of authentic self.
• Self sabotage.
• Identification with the Self image and persona leads to Rigidity and Inflexibility.
• There’s an identity crisis when the Identity or identified role or label is lost for instance; Divorce, The teacher gets fired, the Beauty gets old etc.
• Rigid Self image and sense of self might hinder growth for instance; when one who identifies himself as intelligent rejects a constructive criticism.
• Identification with experiences and outcomes make one develop negative sense of selves for instance when Failure means ‘I’m a failure’… Abandonment means ‘I’m unworthy of love’ … Critiscism means ‘I’m unworthy of success ‘ etc.
How to Manage the Ego Complex.
• The Main way to manage the ego Complex is through dis-identification with the experiences, Persona, External labels and even unconscious complexes. Separate the I from them. See experiences as event happening through you and would probably happen to another in your situation, see the persona just kike a mask not self, separate external labels from self.
• Adopt different roles and masks. Identification with a rigid persona makes it hard to change masks or roles since one forgets it’s just a mask that can be changed. The health ego puts on different personas depending on the context for instance; The cool friend, to the rebel, to the pleaser, to the professional to the expert etc.
• Integrate the Unconscious complexes- They’re not enemies. You have to talk to them as a friend with whom you’ve had some misunderstanding but now want to work together. For instance; The shadow complex contains traits you repressed out of societal conditioning or need to maintain a certain image. You recall the traits back before transforming them. Maybe envy isn’t bad- it signals where you need to grow. Maybe Anger isn’t bad- it communicates what needs to change and can be channelled into setting healthy boundaries. Integrate, not resist not fight them.
Professionals and experts can help you out.
• Seek help from professional psychologists and experts.
References
1. Baumeister, R. F., & Sommer, K. L. (1997). Consciousness, free choice, and automaticity.
2. Bovensiepen, G. (2006). Complexes as persons: The phenomenology of luminosities in Jungian analysis. Journal of Analytical Psychology.
3. Jung, C. G. (1969). A review of the complex theory
4. Jung, C. G. (1971). Psychological types (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton University Press.
5. Jung, C. G. (1983). Memories, dreams, reflections.