Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:-
Arun was an intelligent smart and friendly boy who was very popular amongst his peers. He often did not carry his lunch box to school but would eat from his classmates tiffins, on the sly, under the pretext of checking their bags for bringing mobile phones. He would often regret his behaviour at home but was unable to resist his temptation for interesting food and a little prank. On one such day Arun found Rs. 500/- in a friend's bag. Although he was tempted to take the money to buy food from the canteen, he did not take it, as he understood very well that it would be going too far. Stealing was something his conscience would never allow.
What structure of personality is responsible for Arun's resolve to not pick up the 500 rupees note?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Super-ego
Arun was tempted to take the money but did not, because ‘Stealing was something his conscience would never allow’. Conscience, the sense of right and wrong, is the work of the superego.
Option (1) Id — Incorrect. The id is the part that wanted the money to buy food from the canteen. It seeks immediate gratification and does not care for moral values.
Option (2) Ego — Incorrect. The ego works by the reality principle: it weighs what is possible and what the consequences may be. Arun’s resolve rests on what is morally wrong, not on what is risky.
Option (3) Super-ego — Correct. The superego is the moral branch of mental functioning. It tells the id and the ego whether a gratification is ethical, and controls the id by internalising parental authority through socialisation. Stopping himself from stealing is this moral control at work.
Option (4) Libido — Incorrect. Libido is the instinctual life force that energises the id. It pushes towards gratification, the very opposite of holding back.
NCERT (2025-26): “Structure of Personality … Superego : The best way to characterise the superego is to think of it as the moral branch of mental functioning. The superego tells the id and the ego whether gratification in a particular instance is ethical. It helps control the id by internalising the parental authority through the process of socialisation. For example, if a boy sees and wants an ice-cream cone and asks his mother for it, his superego will indicate that his behaviour is morally correct. This approach towards obtaining the ice-cream will not create guilt, fear or anxiety in the boy.…” |