Sigmund Freud (1856 to 1939) is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern psychology. His theory of personality states that (a) the human psyche (personality) has more than one aspect (see below) and (b) the unconscious mind can be highly influential in directing human behavior. His contribution to the field of psychology was in describing how impulses and ideas contained in the unconscious were sometimes blocked from becoming conscious (Tuckett, 2019). These blocks contributed to the suffering of his patients.

It is recognized that his ideas related to the impact of childhood sexuality on human development and personality are uncomfortable for many. These are not widely adopted today. But many of his other ideas still contribute to our understanding of the human entity. Thus, any book about understanding human beings should include some of Freud’s ideas.

There are three things to keep in mind when evaluating Freud’s theory of personality. First, theories are not meant to be permanent. Theories, by their very nature, are temporary structures used to explain a set of facts and to understand phenomena. As the facts change, the theories continue to evolve until they eventually become obsolete and are replaced by new theories. Second, Freud’s thinking kept evolving throughout his lifetime. If he were still alive today it is most likely that his thinking would be much different than it was in the early 1900s. And third, theories (like Freud’s) do not predict human behavior; they help us understand human behavior.