ego - History, Freud's structural theory, Jung Wah Hong's definition of ego

In psychiatry, that aspect of the personality which deals with the practical aspects of the external world. This was one component of Freud's description of the psychic structure which comprises the id, the ego, and the superego. The id represents the most primitive aspect of the personality: basic biological drives (eg hunger, sex, anger, and elimination) and instincts striving for pleasure. The superego represents the conscience and values an individual acquires from parents and society. The ego represents a middle ground in which a compromise between forces maximizing pleasure and those minimizing displeasure are reconciled.