Answer to Question #146869 in Management for Navjot

Question

Anand has been raised in economically modest family and has seen family struggle to make ends meet. What worked well for Anand was his hard work and sheer dedication because of which he was able to get through to civil services exam in the first attempt itself. As soon as Anand’s training finished he was placed as a District Magistrate. Soon he notices a scam under a government scheme involving huge amount of money. He raised the concern to the higher authorities to which he was asked to be involved in it and get a huge part of the deal. Anand is now in dilemma as he is in need of money to look after his family requirements. Bring out how the three personality traits as per the psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud act on him

Answer 1

The Id

This trait is the most primitive structure of the human mind and is concerned with the instant gratification of needs and urges. The Id works entirely unconsciously and would push Anand to get involved in the scam to get the money required to meet family obligations. It would not care about the morality of the issue.

The Superego

This trait is concerned with social rules and morals. It develops in childhood when one learns about what their culture perceives to be right or wrong. The Superego would discourage Anand from participating in the scam because he knows it is wrong. Anand would still get involved in the fraud but would later feel guilty if the Id and the Superego got involved simultaneously, and the former dominated the latter.   

The Ego

The Ego is the rational, pragmatic part of the human personality. It compromises between the Id and the Superego. It would make Anand think about the positive and negative consequences of joining the scam. Anand may eventually choose to expose the scheme and rely on his income as a District Magistrate to solve his family’s money problems. The action would frustrate his Id but save him the unpleasant social feelings of guilt or shame.