id v. ego v. superego

In Freudian theory, the psyche is divided into 3 aspects: the id, the ego, and the superego.

• The id is the unconscious, instinctual part of the mind associated with the immediate satisfaction of basic needs such as food and sex. The id seeks pleasure and avoids pain.
• The ego is the rational, conscious self - the division that remembers, plans, and responds to external reality.
• The superego develops during childhood as the internalization of morals learned from parents and society. It acts as a conscience, keeping the ego in check by controlling socially unacceptable impulses.

About.com on id, ego, and superego