OPINION The ego engages in secondary process thinking and uses this rational, realistic and problem-solving orientation to satisfy the id’s desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. In many cases, this can be accomplished by delaying the desired gratification until the appropriate time and place. Freud compared the id to a horse and the ego to its rider. The horse provides the power and motion, while the rider provides the direction and guidance. Without its rider, the horse may simply wander aimlessly. Ali used a similar image to describe the nafs al-ammara. Freud’s “ego ideal” (“ideal self ”) includes the rules and standards of good behavior to which one should adhere. If one manages to do so, he/she will eventually experience feelings of pride. The superego, which consists of the conscience and the ideal self, develops when children are around 3 to 5 years old. Incorporating the surrounding society’s values and morals via one’s parents, it continues to grow over time so that children can adopt moral standards from people they admire, like teachers. The superego controls the id’s impulses, especially those that society forbids (e.g., non-marital sexual relationships and immediate gratification); acts to perfect and civilize our behavior; works to suppress the id’s unacceptable urges; struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards; and tries to persuade the ego to turn to moralistic goals and strive for perfection. If the ego gives in to the id’s demands, the superego may make the person feel bad by giving rise to feelings of guilt. For example, an individual with an overly dominant id might become impulsive, uncontrollable or even a criminal, as immediate gratification is his/ her only concern. On the other hand, an overly dominant superego might lead one to become extremely moralistic and judgmental and thus unable to accept whatever he/she deems “bad” or “immoral.” Those who have a strong ego can manage these pressures effectively, while those whose ego is too strong or too weak can become too unyielding or disruptive. One can only acquire a healthy personality by striking the correct balance among the id, the ego and the superego.
NIETZSCHE’S SUPERMAN Nietzsche presented his Superman as a man who possesses his own independent values and is therefore able to affect and dominate others. He therefore lives with pleasure and happiness in the present, but with the purpose of leading humanity. A biological product, as opposed to a product of moral and spiritual forces, this individual creates his own morality based on his own experiences, which are grounded in the secular physical world. The poet, scholar and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), who published his “Asrar-i-Khudi” in Persian in 1915 (“The Secrets of the Self,” trans. Reynold A. Nicholson; http://www.gutenberg. org/ebooks/57317) noted, “It is probable that Nietzsche borrowed it (Übermensch) from the literature of Islam or of the East and degraded it by his materialism.” In footnote number 8, S. A. Vahid states that Iqbal dictated this note to Sayyid Ivazir Niyazi during the summer of 1937) (http://www.allamaiqbal.com/publications/journals/review/ oct82/3.htm#_edn1). In comparison to Freud and Nietzsche, the Quran gives a clear understanding of the concept of nafs and its role in developing a person’s character in such a way that it can reach the level of al-nafs al-mutma’inna (the soul at peace). ih Dr. Basheer Ahmed is a former professor of psychiatry, South Western Medical School, Dallas, Texas, and chairman emeritus of the MCC for Human Services, North Texas.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 41
Issues of Poverty in the U.S. Have Solutions For many Americans, the “American Dream” recedes even further into the distance BY S. A. REHMAN
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he COVID-19 crisis has brought to the fore issues associated with hunger and homelessness, unemployment and hopelessness. However, these can be solved and reduced if we pool our resources. The common denominator for all of these issues is the lack of education. Every year, more than 1.2 million Americans drop out of high school — one every 26 seconds, or 7,000 a day, writes Tony Miller (“Partnering for Education Reform,” www.ed.gov, July 7, 2011). David Silver, Marisa Saunders and Estela Zarate find that about 25% of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s high school freshmen fail to graduate on time (https://www. dosomething.org). In 2017, the average high school “event” dropout rate — that is students between grades 10-12 — was 4.7%, contrasting with 3.5% in 2007; while 54% of students who drop out of high school left in 10th or 11th grade, reported educationdata.org. The study also found that nearly 83% of incarcerated persons are also high school dropouts. They usually find jobs in fast food outlets, grocery stores, factories or the construction industry. The National Employment Law Project found that entry-level jobs at fast-food restaurants are more likely to be dead-end jobs than stepping stones to more advanced positions (Stephanie Levy, June 10, 2015; https:// groundswell.org/fast-food-misconceptions). Adults need to explain to youth the importance of graduating from high school. Sometimes the parents insist they do, but in other cases they need the student’s income to improve the family’s economic status. Lyndsey Layton, author of “National public high school graduation rate at a four-decade high” (Washington Post, Jan. 21, 2013),
