egos

Egos refer to a person’s sense of self and identity. The term originates from the Latin ego, meaning “I,” and in everyday language is used to describe self-esteem, self-importance, or self-confidence. In psychology, the word often designates a specific mental function: the part of the psyche that mediates between instinctual impulses, social reality, and one’s own thoughts and feelings.

In the psychoanalytic tradition, especially in Sigmund Freud’s structural model, the ego is the partly conscious mechanism that navigates reality. It operates under the reality principle, balancing the demands of the id (drives) with the constraints of the external world and the superego (internalized norms). The ego uses defense mechanisms—such as repression, denial, rationalization, and projection—to cope with conflict and anxiety, though reliance on defenses can distort perception or behavior if excessive.

More broadly, “ego” can be used neutrally to discuss self-concepts, self-regulation, and self-esteem, or pejoratively to imply vanity or inflated self-importance. Various theories offer different views of the ego: in Jungian psychology, it is the center of conscious experience within a larger self; in humanistic approaches, it is part of the growing sense of self and potential.

Cultural and philosophical perspectives also influence how the ego is understood. Some traditions advocate reducing egotistical tendencies through mindfulness or ethical disciplines. In contemporary psychology, topics related to the ego include self-concept, self-esteem, and, more controversially, ideas like ego depletion, which have faced methodological scrutiny.