As one of several infamous psychologists of the 20th century, Sigmund Freud attempted to explain why people act and speak the way they do. He divided the human mind into three different states, overlapping from consciousness to unconsciousness, and argued that ideas or "psychic energy" could neither be created nor destroyed, but simply flow between states ( Alexander). According to Freud, the unconscious was further divided between the overtly moral superego and the pleasure-seeking id. The id is used to explain the irrational actions people do, often suggesting that breaking laws, rules, and codes of etiquette is acceptable in the pursuit of pleasure. It begins to exert its influence on the actions of the individual during early childhood or, as Freud interpreted it, on the onset of sexual desires in men. Young men develop an Oedipus complex or "an attachment to the parent of the opposite sex accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex" (Dollof) and young women develop a similar Electra complex. However, they are often prevented from acting on their desires due to fear of the same-sex parent or current partner of their object of attraction. Then, they repress these feelings unconsciously for most of their adolescence and begin to feel contempt for the same-sex parent. This development shapes their attractions, perceptions, and general attitudes toward others throughout their lives. Illicit desires, social sympathy, and, conversely, social apathy all emerge during childhood. If all of this information proves valid, then the key to understanding adult behavior lies buried in childhood. Author Alison Lurie takes on the task of interpretation...... middle of article ...... their reason is imperfect and all, if not most, of their actions are motivated by animal desires. The validity of Freud's theory is not proven by a grand, obscure scientific experiment, but by mundane person-to-person exchanges. Works Cited Alexander, Jonathan M. “Psychoanalytic Theory.” Introductory notes. Burlington Community College, September 2013. Web. April 8, 2014.Bang, Abha. “Theories of Personality Development – ​​Freud’s Theory of Personality Development.” MDhil. July 19, 2012. the web. April 8, 2014. Dollof, Lauren. “The Oedipus complex”. CLAS 095 TAP: Greek tragedy. University of Vermont, November 16, 2006. Web. April 7, 2014. Felluga, Dino F. “Introduction to Sigmund Freud, module on neuroses”. An introductory guide to critical theory. Purdue University, January 31, 2011. Web. April 8, 2014.Lurie, Alison. Foreign Affairs. New York: Random House, 1984. Print.