How Temptation Is Explained By Psychology

It's the Lenten season and it is the time where we are encouraged to take a moment of silence, pray, and reflect on our lives. We often do this to draw closer to God, especially during times of loneliness, desperation, trials, and feeling of emptiness.

Persons experiencing certain symptoms of emotional pain are usually drowning in sin with no clear moral compass. Those who do disregard their weaknesses by trying to appear strong, cover their failures by trying to appear powerful, and nursing their wounds by hurting other people and take revenge.

All of us are faced with choices everyday, and what really makes a difference is how we make the choice. In psychology, Sigmund Freud offered an explanation of the human psyche by dividing it into three components: the id, the ego, and the superego. By applying it to the Theology of Temptation, we can offer a light for others to examine themselves.

Freudian psychology defines the id as the set of our uncoordinated instinctual desires, the superego plays the critical, moralizing role (also known as conscience), and the ego which is our organized, agent that mediates with the two.

These three components are actively involved when we use our psyche. When we are faced with a temptation, especially something which is morally wrong or sinful, more so for the first time, we tend to think about it before we make a decision. It is because our id and superego are trying to convince our ego to regulate our decision.

Some people might give up on the superego and follow the id, while some people go with the superego and do the right thing and set aside the id. But sometimes, most people follow their id. They might feel bad for the first time but as they repeat the process, their superego becomes numb and they tend to define something wrong as something right. They are slowly losing their conscience.

It is important to develop the perfect balance between the id and the superego because pleasure is not exactly wrong. It is important to escape and follow our desires from time to time, but we should always bring our conscience with us.

Only in this way that we can consciously triumph over temptation.

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This post is sponsored by Chipotlé Mexican Grill.

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