Alter-ego - what is it in psychology?

The ego is all that we really are not, it is our false essence, which is in constant search of something, wants something, doubts something, is afraid and constantly complexes. Our second "I" consists of our beliefs, beliefs, doubts, hidden fears and desires. This is our uncontrollable mind, which constantly criticizes and condemns. The subconscious mind that decides whether it is good or bad, likes or dislikes. There is also such a concept in psychology as an alter ego. What is it? The second hidden essence of man, the second person, the personality within the personality. Alter-ego manifests itself in a particular environment or under the influence of any external or internal factors.

Definition of concept

Alter-ego psychology (Alter ego - "other I" in Latin) calls the real or fictitious alternative essence of man. It can be absolute any person or image: a literary hero, a pseudonym and the prototype associated with him, the deputy. In addition, there may not be one person in a person, but several persons who appeared as a result of a mental disorder.

What depends on our alter ego

Is it an alter ego? What does it give us and what depends on it? It is the ego that determines what we want from life: love, material goods, beauty, health and so on. All these desires create constant suffering, because our requests have no limits. While we compare ourselves with our alter ego, we do not see reality as it really is. The real and the real is death for our false, hidden essence. It is for this reason that our alter ego is doing everything possible to escape from what is happening here and now. In moments when the mind is silent, when we are in the present tense, our ego is dissolved, and at that moment we become what we really are.

The false essence of man is "I"

Depending on the context, the word "I" personifies either the deepest truth, or a huge mistake. This word is inherently the most used together with its derivatives - "me", "mine", "me" and so on. At the same time, it is one of those words that lead to the strongest error. The word "I" within the usual daily use in speech initially indicates an incorrect perception of the entity that you are. That is his alter ego. That this word represents an imaginary sense of personality, not everyone understands.

Having the gift of feeling the very essence of the reality of space and time, Albert Einstein called this false perception of himself and his essence "an optical illusion of sight." In the future this imaginary "I" is taken as the starting point for subsequent misinterpretations of reality. Alter-ego - what is this? This is the basis on which the relationships and interactions of thought activity are built. And as a result, reality becomes only a reflection of the starting illusion.

Where the term "alter ego" is used

Sometimes the term "alter ego" can be found in literature and creative works in describing characters whose images are similar to the author or to each other. For example, one of the heroes of several films Antoine Doanel is the alter-ego of the creator and screenwriter of the film - Francois Truffaut.

The expression "alter ego" (the passage of a game with a similar name, as they say, is quite exciting) was first used by the Greek philosopher Zenon of Kitijsky, who lived in the IV-III centuries BC. E. Its spread was due to the tradition adopted in some European states in the past centuries. When the ruler handed over his power to the successor, he gave him the title of the second "I" of the king - "alter-ego-regis". It is believed that such a tradition arose in Sicily.