The pleasure principle is a psychoanalytic concept, originated by Sigmund Freud. The pleasure principle states that people seek pleasure and avoid pain, i.e., people seek to satisfy biological and psychological needs.[1] The counterpart is the reality principle, which defers gratification when necessary.
An individual's id follows the pleasure principle and rules early life, but, as one matures, one learns the need to endure pain and defer gratification, because of the exigencies and obstacles of reality. In Freud's words, “an ego thus educated has become reasonable; it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle, but obeys the reality principle, which also at bottom seeks to obtain pleasure, but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality, even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished”.[2]
See also
References
- ^ Snyder, C. R.; Lopez, Shane J. (2007). Positive Psychology. Sage Publications, Inc.. pp. 147. ISBN 076192633X.
- ^ Sigmund Freud, Introductory Lectures 16.357.
 |
This psychology-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
