Pleasure Principle (Noun)
Meaning
(psychoanalysis) the governing principle of the id; the principle that an infant seeks gratification and fails to distinguish fantasy from reality.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- Freud believed that the pleasure principle is present from birth, driving infants to seek out sources of gratification without regard for social norms.
- As a result of the pleasure principle, infants and young children often have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality.
- In the context of psychoanalysis, the pleasure principle is seen as a driving force behind many human behaviors, often operating on an unconscious level.
- Researchers have found evidence supporting the idea that the pleasure principle is hardwired into the brain from birth, influencing decisions throughout life.
- As humans mature, the pleasure principle is gradually replaced by the reality principle, which takes into account social norms and the consequences of actions.