A Freudian Tension

In The Ego and the Id, Sigmund Freud uses the analogy of a horse and rider to illustrate the relationship between the ego and the id, emphasizing that we may have less control over the unconscious than we’d like to believe. Yet, a decade later in New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis, Freud introduces the psychoanalytic motto: “Where id was, there ego shall be,” hinting at the possibility of greater agency than he originally proposed. This tension—between the limits of our control and the hope for transformation—has always intrigued me. In this episode, I explore that dynamic by sharing a few key quotes from Freud, and one from Mari Ruti that I believe sheds meaningful light on this enduring paradox.