What Is the Reality Principle?

The principle of reality, also translated as "the principle of reality." It refers to one of the principles of psychoanalysis about people's psychological activity. Refers to the original impulse of the "self" as the rational part of personality in an attempt to control the irrational "self", which makes people face external factual conditions and social reality, and is subject to reality. Individuals need to survive, but they are limited by the actual conditions, self-obey the principles of reality, coordinate the relationship between instinct and reality, reasonably delay and reduce tension release, desire satisfaction, in order to weaken the conflict with social reality and maintain harmony with the environment. Proposed by Freud, Austria. According to Freud, although the "principle of reality" is opposite to the "principle of happiness", it is actually aimed at happiness, but it only takes into account the conditions of reality and controls instinctual impulses to avoid suffering, which is the same as obtaining happiness . It is believed that "the principle of reality" and "the principle of happiness" cannot be partial, and maintaining the balance between them is a condition of mental health; otherwise it will lead to mental illness. ^[1]

Also known as the "Practical Principle", a term of psychoanalysis. Self-activity follows the principle of seeking happiness but being constrained by reality. Individuals need to maintain survival, but must be limited by the actual conditions, self-obey the principles of reality, coordinate the relationship between instinct and reality, delay the release of tension, satisfy the desire, and maintain harmony with the environment. ^[2]

The principle of self-adapted mental function proposed by Freud. He believes that the principle of reality accompanies and helps self-development. The instincts of the instincts pursue the purpose of happiness from the beginning to the end of their development, and the ego struggled for it in the first place. But shortly afterwards, the ego knew how to correct the principle of happiness in order to avoid unnecessary suffering or external punishment. As a result, the self is no longer dominated by the principle of happiness, but is subject to the principle of reality. The principle of reality helps to delay the release of tension and the fulfillment of desires until there are appropriate, available goals and environmental conditions in reality. The development of the principle of reality is not intended to replace the principle of happiness. On the contrary, the principle of reality is ultimately aimed at happiness. However, due to the consideration of objective reality, the needs of the ego have been temporarily postponed. ^[3]

Freud regards instinct to seek happiness as "the principle of happiness", the purpose of which is to pursue the greatest happiness and the smallest pain; obeying the constraints of reality is called "the principle of reality. Instinct only represents the ego. It follows the principle of happiness. It must satisfy its primitive biological desires and seek happiness. However, it is subject to self-restraint by observing the principles of reality. Once the ego cannot be satisfied, the superego can still produce sublimation. When the principles of happiness and reality conflict, instincts are forced to accept a repressive regulation. ^[4]