Ego & Jealousy

In psychoanalysis, ego is the part of the mind that acts according to emotions and impulse. Jealousy is a reaction to the ego's fear that it does not measure up to others' accomplishments or is unworthy of the object or person desired.

Features

• Ego constantly compares itself with others, determining how it stacks up in terms of talent, appearance, intellect and accomplishments.

Function

• Ego's primary goal is to avoid feeling vulnerable by convincing the individual that her fears are rational and true.

Significance

• Ego defends itself by either attacking the self through doubts or by attacking others through unfounded accusations.

Considerations

• Possessiveness temporarily soothes the ego by making it feel closer to the person or thing desired, but jealousy quickly arises if that relationship is threatened.

Warnings

• Ego can be ashamed of its jealousy, which increases self-loathing and insecurity. Typical manifestations of vulnerability include illogical reactions to situations, assumptions not based on facts, an inability to spend time alone and obsessing over problems.

Treatment

• Ego can be strengthened or reassured through talking with impartial friends or counselors, finding time to relax in peaceful settings, keeping and reviewing a journal and distancing yourself from the troubling situation.