When I originally though of the word ego before reading this section of Freud’s work, I imagined he would be explaining more along the lines of confidence or strictly the self-value of the human. I also thought of a particular artist, Beyonce, and her song “Ego” from 2008 and how she takes about exuding said confidence. I also thought about her persona in general and how when it comes to the ego, it’s one of those personal components of her being that seem to be very high. With numerous accolades in the music industry, it would only make sense for Beyonce to have such a high level of self-esteem, and thus, have a big ego.
In “An Outline of Psycho- Analysis” we learn about the ego as well as the super ego and how they merge together in line with the id to create a full conscience of being. Freud states that the ego acts “as an intermediary between the id and the external world” (145). This portion of the mind stems primarily from instinct and experience of the individual. The super ego is said to contrast from the ego and instead, is represented by “ego the influence, essentially, of what is taken over from other people” (Freud 147). He says that this portion of our minds can be traced from outside influences such as a parent or society in general. One thing Freud mentions about the super-ego in specific is that it “represents the influences of the past”(147). The mindset of the super-ego is said to be a middle-ground for past and present thought so it identifies the human in their nearly present form of being- a place that I interpret as them moving forward in the present as they exude the actions or the qualities exhibited from their paths.
I made this connection of the super-ego in terms of the alter-ego, particularly, Beyonce as Sasha Fierce. In a magazine I read awhile ago, I remember Beyonce stating how her transition to Sasha Fierce helped her to “come alive” on stage, if you will, and give her crowd outstanding performances. She would claim that Sasha Fierce would take over on stage but that once the show was over, Beyonce would re-emerge as she went about the rest of her night. I found this very interesting and it made me wonder if the alter-ego also stems from the past. Was Beyonce influenced heavily either from other well known performers or even from a family member who helped her bring out her inner Sasha Fierce? Or did it all come from a simple idea that she transformed into a pseudo-being or temporary state of mind? What do you guys think?
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