Understanding the Pleasure Principle
The pleasure principle suggests we are motivated to obtain pleasure and avoid pain.
As you might imagine, some needs cannot be met when we feel them.
The Id
The pleasure principle is the force powering the part of personality known as the id.
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In Freud’s theory of personality, the id is the most basic and animalistic part of the personality.
It is also the only part of the personality that Freud believed was present from birth.
How the Pleasure Principle Develops
During early childhood, the id controls the majority of behavior.
Children act on their urges for food, water, and various forms of pleasure.
The pleasure principle guides the id to fulfill these basic needs to help ensure survival.
The Reality Principle vs. the Pleasure Principle
The pleasure principle does not influence behavior in isolation.
The Ego
As children mature, the ego develops to help control the urges of the id.
The ego is concerned with reality.
The ego operates through what Freud referred to as thereality principle.
This reality principle is the opposing force to the instinctual urges of the pleasure principle.
Examples of the Reality Principle
Imagine that a very young child is thirsty.
They might simply grab a glass of water out of another person’s hands and begin guzzling it down.
The pleasure principle dictates that the id will seek out the most immediate way to gratify this need.
Instead, you wait until the meeting is over and retrieve your own water bottle from your office.
If it existed in isolation, it might lead people to fulfill their desires regardless of the consequences.
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