Ego << EE goh >> is a term used in psychoanalysis to describe one of the three parts of the mind. The two other parts are the id, or instincts, and the superego, or conscience. The ego resolves conflicts among the individual’s instinctual impulses, his or her sense of guilt, and the demands of external reality. For example, the ego regulates emotions and impulses that might not be acceptable to other people. The ego also governs such areas as memory, thought and decision making, walking and other voluntary movements, and perceptions, such as hearing, feeling, and sight.
Psychoanalysts sometimes use the word ego to mean a person’s self. In popular usage, the word has come to mean selfishness, self-love, or self-esteem.
