Here is the explanation:
1. Identification — “Who do I become like—someone I consider important?”
Identification is the process by which a person—consciously or unconsciously—internalizes the values, attitudes, behavioral patterns, or character traits of another person.
For example:
A child observes that their father always keeps his promises.
Over time, the child moves beyond merely thinking, “Dad should keep his promises,” to adopting the mindset: “I am someone who keeps promises.”
Here, a shift occurs: from imitating a behavior to making it part of one’s own identity.
Identification can stem from:
parents,
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teachers,
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friends,
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religious figures,
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social groups,
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culture,
or even figures we admire or we fear.
Interestingly, we can also identify with something we oppose. For instance, someone might deeply detest their parent's abusive nature but, without realizing it, eventually adopt those same abusive patterns.
2. Ego — “The Self”
In Freud’s theory, the ego is not merely consciousness.
The ego is the part of the personality that attempts to manage the demands of the id, reality, and the superego.
Simply put:
Id: “I want it!”
Superego: “That’s not allowed!”
Ego: “How can I fulfill this desire without destroying myself or violating the values I hold?”
Example:
You are furious with someone.
Id:
“Just hit them!”
Superego:
“You shouldn't do that. It’s wrong.”
Ego:
“I am angry, but I’ll step away for now and talk once I’ve calmed down.”
Thus, the ego functions as a mediator between internal drives and reality. Therefore, a healthy ego does not mean "having no ego," but rather possessing the ability to say:
"I am aware of what I am feeling, but I do not have to act on that feeling immediately."
3. Superego — "What should I be like?"
The superego is the personality structure associated with internalized values, norms, prohibitions, ideals, guilt, and moral standards.
This is where identification plays a major role.
A child might initially think:
"I shouldn't lie because Dad will get angry."
This later evolves into:
"I shouldn't lie because lying is wrong."
Even when no one is watching, they still feel guilty.
That is one of the functions of the superego: internal moral oversight.
However, the superego can also become overly harsh.
For example:
"I failed once, so I am a failure as a person."
or
"I must always be perfect."
In such cases, the superego ceases to merely provide a moral compass and can transform into a ruthless internal judge.
If we view the three of them as a single process,
We can illustrate it like this:
ENVIRONMENT
↓
Identification
"The person I admire does this."
↓
Internalization
"That value becomes part of me."
↓
Superego
"This is what I should do."
↓
Ego
"I must determine how to carry this out in reality."
Meanwhile, on the other side, there is other identification:
ID → "I want."
SUPEREGO → "I should."
EGO → "What is realistic for me to do?"
And consciousness plays a role by allowing us to observe this conflict.
There is one very interesting point.
If we approach this from a philosophical perspective, the question becomes much deeper:
"Is the 'me' of today truly *me*, or am I merely a collection of identifications I have absorbed from others?"
For instance, if someone says:
"I must be successful."
We might ask:
Who was the first to teach that success is important?
Parents?
School?
Society? Religion?
Friends?
Media?
Then, a second question arises:
“Is that value truly my choice, or is it simply something that has become part of me through a process of identification?”
This is where the concept of awareness becomes crucial.
Awareness allows one to step back from identification:
“I realize that I hold this belief.”
And then:
“Do I still choose to maintain it?”
That is one of the differences between living based on identification and living consciously.