Freud’s theories and their relevancy today

Freud’s Theories and Their Relevance today

Freud’s Theories

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist who was also a founder of psychoanalysis. His minute observance of human psychological behaviour and its relationship with the conscious and the subconscious mind, propelled him to give his theories which are popularly known as Freud’s theories.

His personality theory consisted of the core elements which were the five stages of growth in humans, namely, Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital. He said that there were three levels of the human mind and that they governed the information and experience regarding the five stages of development. They were conscious, unconscious, and subconscious.

According to Freud, human sexuality is the genesis of the behaviour and the various requirements and desires must be fulfilled at the proper age otherwise that individual has a chance of suffering from mental disorders and various flaws in personality. Since the minds function and behave in a similar manner, Freud believed that the problem was universal. He stated that sexual fantasies and desires were the shapers of one’s emotions along with behaviour and thoughts.

He also gave the theory that the subconscious part of the mind was responsible for the dreams humans see. They have a close relationship with one’s recent as well as the long left behind past.

Relevance of Freud’s Theories in the Present Times

His theories have been studied by various theorists for more than 100 years and greatly helps them in understanding human behaviour and the psyche. According to Freud, the conflicts between the internal parts of the mind in unconsciousness, result in the human personality. Many pieces of research were conducted to check the relevance of this theory in the present times.

Many theories have been put forward in this field by many renowned theorists and thus, he is not the only one. Along with theirs, we can say that Freud’s theories are relevant according to the present times and can be used to study human behaviour and personality type in a better way. Also, the theory is universal as the minds more or less function in a similar manner.

FAQs

What were the five stages of human development according to Freud?

Sigmund Freud named the five stages of human development as – Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital.

What are the different parts of a mind according to Freud and his theory?

According to Sir Sigmund Freud and his theory, a human mind can be divided into three parts – conscious, unconscious, and subconscious. All of them play a different and distinctive role in human psychology and behaviour.

According to Freud, what governs human behaviour?

Human behaviour is governed by his subconscious.

What can lead to psychological disorders and a flawed personality?

If a human’s desires and requirements at a particular stage of development are not fulfilled, it can make him develop a flawed personality and can even make him have psychological disorders.