The Reality Principle: What Is It?

Can you imagine being able to fulfill everything you want? This milestone might seem like a marvel, but if you analyze it in depth you will see that they are not all advantages. Well, the reality principle has a lot to do with this balance.

This principle is very present in the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud. It was he who somehow shaped the concept, fitting it into his dynamic theory of personality. But what is the reality principle? What is its relation to the Freudian economic model?

We will resolve those issues throughout this article. In addition, we will show you the link of the pleasure principle with secondary processes and with the life and death drives.

Principle of reality, what is it?

We regulate ourselves by several principles and one of the most important is that of reality. That is, when there is a constant search for pleasure, he is the one who is in charge of telling us: “Stop! you can go this far ”.

Freud suggested that one of the milestones that could end our existence would be the complete satisfaction of our desires . Why? Keep in mind that we are talking about all desires, even those that are deep within us and that occur in moments of intense pain or anger.

Furthermore, it is a principle of the “I”, which in psychoanalysis is our conscious part, which intervenes in the satisfaction of the impulses of the “it”, that is, our instinctual part, and in the impulses of the “superego”, that is, the internalization that we do of the moral.

So what does it allow us? The reality principle favors that we can postpone or substitute our appetites according to the pressures of reality, to adapt. That is, it helps our survival!

Principle of reality and the economic model

The reality principle is part of the economic model suggested by Sigmund Freud. This model emphasizes the drive, that is, a force that favors the search for an end. In fact, it focuses on those energetic processes that regulate our mental activity. These processes would be: the reality principle, and the pleasure principle.

In words closer to Freud, the economic model has to do with psychic processes consisting of the circulation of quantifiable energy, which can increase, decrease or not be altered. In this movement they operate among others:

• Libido It is the tendency to discharge, based on the pleasure principle.
• Cathexis energy. That is, the discharge of psychic energy.

The reality principle operates through this energy. However, it does not act alone, it always goes hand in hand with the pleasure principle, and other concepts that we will see in the next section.

Concepts associated with the reality principle

The reality principle is closely related to the pleasure principle, which is the one that seeks the immediate satisfaction of our impulses. In addition, it is linked to:

• The principle of Nirvana. It consists of the tendency to bring all excitement to the closest level to zero.
• The life drive. That tendency to self-preservation.
• The death drive. The propensity for self-destruction.

In addition, it is associated with the flow of psychic energy, therefore, it works hand in hand with libido and cathexis. Thus, when we speak of the reality principle, we say that it is a regulator, since it is mediating our drives.

The most important associated concept is the secondary process. It is about all those activities and processes related to the “I” that serve us both to integrate ourselves and to adapt to the environment. For example: memory, thought, perception, reasoning and language.

Then, through the secondary processes, the reality principle operates. It does so by connecting with reality, evaluating causal relationships, to determine what is less dangerous for the fulfillment of the desire, what is not tolerable, and what is more or less effective.

In short, thanks to the reality principle we can better adapt to the demands of the environment . To do this, we use its energetic mechanisms, our ego interacts, and we use the secondary processes that bring us closer to reality and that not only lead to the satisfaction of our desires; they are close to our survival.

We cannot fulfill the pleasures at all times, therefore, our reality principle intervenes. That is, we must wait, not do it or postpone our pleasure for later. That is the importance of this principle in our day to day.