“Where id is, there shall ego be.”

The ego is not only the ally of the id. It is also a submissive slave who courts the love of his master. The ego has to mediate the desires of the id but, at the same time, it sits between the superego and the events of the external world. When people argue that the ego should be killed, and that we’d be better off free from ego, we may be arguing semantics, but in the end, what you need is a healthy ego. You need it in its place, but you can’t rid yourself of it. It’s part of your consciousness, and always will be.

This podcast focuses on self-exploration and personal identity -- to help you construct who you are, and how you want to feel, think, believe, and behave for yourself. Check out our gratitude challenge for the month of November at bigselfschool.com/gratitude.