What does Freud think?
It all begins in childhood...
My Dear Reader,
Yesterday we completed the first edition of our Quarterly Training Program where the theme was “The Future of our Schools”. Our two speakers took us on a trip down memory lane as we compared the school of yesterday and the school of today. They painted the future of schooling both in Nigeria and around the world using existing statistics. Finally, they proffered solutions that involve the actions of Educational Psychologists.
If you want more details about this, please catch us on social media where we shall drop snippets from time to time.
In today’s newsletter…
We talk about a founding father in Psychology named Sigmund Freud. He propounded one of the most popular schools of thought known as Psychoanalysis.
His theory has been applied to various life concepts and is based on the core belief that every person possesses unconscious thoughts, feelings, wishes, and memories that affect their behaviour.
Freud proposed many theories and methods of studying human behaviour, one of which will be discussed here.
Which one?
Today we shall examine the structure of the mind. Freud compared the human mind to an iceberg, of which the tip can only be seen.
The human mind consists of three levels: the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious.
The conscious mind (the tip of the iceberg) is a small part of which we are aware. It is an aspect that we constantly relate to and a part of our mental processing that we think of and talk about rationally. For example, our thoughts on what we need to do today is a function of the conscious mind.
The preconscious mind (a part of the iceberg that is barely submerged) is any information that can easily be brought to mind. For instance, one may not be constantly thinking about one’s birthday, but if you need to fill out a form right now that information will come to you easily.
The unconscious mind (the part of an iceberg that we cannot see) is that part of the mind that is hidden from our awareness. It contains thoughts, emotions, and experiences that are too difficult to comprehend. This is why they are often relegated to the darkest part of our mind. Most of these uncomfortable feelings are formed from early childhood and largely form the structure of one’s personality.
To Conclude,
Although Freud’s theories have been heavily criticised and he has been labelled as one of the most controversial psychologists to exist, it is undisputed that Freud has made an impact on several fields today.
One thing is true: it all begins with childhood. Childhood is the most delicate part of a human’s development and can make or mar a person. This is why we must ensure that children everywhere are exposed to healthy conditions of living.
Please leave your thoughts with a friend and share this piece with your friends and colleagues.
Till next week,
Ewoma Omoghene