Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

The concept of repression was first introduced to us with the help of Sigmund Freud, a renowned psychologist. He first introduced us to the idea of the ego, and the id. Repression, a fundamental, usually unconscious function of the ego, maintains equilibrium in the individual by repressing inappropriate, unfeasible, or guilt causing urges, memories and wishes, which are of the id, to the level of unconscious, where they will be out of sight but not out of mind(Jones 406). The ability to repress dangerous or unsettling thoughts turns out to be vital in the individuals ability to work through life. If a child had never learned to repress the urge to steal his sister's toys, for example, he would have spent years in punishment. If the boss at work is unable to repress his sexual desire for his secretary, he will be unable to function, and his mind will be consumed by illicit, inappropriate and impossible thoughts. The repression of harmful impulses and urges gives the individual the capacity to move on and meet the demands in life. Although repression functions as a vital coping tool, it can also cause great anguish. A repressed urge of the id, although it may be in the unconsci