A personal interest - Essay Example

However, as one grows up understanding reality and morality, one becomes able to better manage such desires. In other words, life is an effort to strike a balance between desires and reality. One BBC article named ‘A Brief History of Celebrity’ points out that thousands of years ago, the way to gain fame or to become a celebrity was through title. Another way was to become a warrior and show ones talent in wars by saving the lives of many people. Another way was the success in ancient Olympic Games.

It was rather common in the ancient Rome to honor the celebrities by allowing life-long free meals, and by creating hymns praising them. Also, the famous ones got their faces imprinted on coins, thus becoming immortal (“A Brief History of Celebrity”). However, the point here is that I, like most other people in the world, want to become a celebrity, no matter what way it comes. However, the surprising thing at this juncture is the fact that I kindle this desire even after gaining the realization that becoming a celebrity, either in entertainment or in sports, is a near impossibility for me.

This understanding and the desire to know the reason behind this longing take one back to the Structural Model proposed by Freud. According to Freud, all people are born with Id, or the pleasure principle. It is this Id that makes people look for things that make them feel good, and in search of this good, they give no attention to reality. It is this Id that makes children insist for various things without considering the viability of the demands. However, as people grow up, they develop Ego that makes them look into reality.

Thus, Ego helps strike a balance between the irrational demands of Id and the realities of the situation. Lastly, there arises Superego, or, the moral principles of life. Once it is developed, it controls the actions of one by dictating what is right and what is wrong. However, the Id goes on looking for ways to feel good and happy with its ultimate selfishness. Here, I reach the realization that it might be my Id that lies in my mind that makes me nourish such wishes even though my Ego reminds me the realities.

One can see Franz Kafka in ‘Letter to My Father’ pointing out how he failed to understand the benevolent acts of his father, and feared him. A look into the work proves that the writer, as he grew up, developed Ego and Superego that made him look into not only his present life, but also his past with a new insight. Again, one can see the writer acknowledging the fact that he is still in the grip of fear, and hence, is unable to explain everything. This shows the still strong impact of Id on his life as an adult.

Kafka now admits that his father had always lived for the family, and as a child, Kafka enjoyed a high life ‘with complete freedom to study’ whatever he wanted. In addition, he had nothing to worry about food. Here, Kafka makes the acknowledgment that he is guilty of not understanding and acknowledging the good things his father had done for him. In addition, he admits that even without his father’s presence, he would still be a weak, fearful, hesitant, troubled man (Kafka, 6). Here, considering my desire to be a celebrity, I reach back the Freudian conclusion that all humans are suffering from some mental disorders.

According to him, it is the strength of debilitation that decides the difference between the sane and the insane. If this concept is