Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego

In Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego, Sigmund Freud explored how individuals behave within groups. He suggested that group behavior is often a regression to an earlier stage of development, where individuals identify intensely with a leader. This identification leads to a loss of self-control and independence, with followers imposing uniformity on each other, mirroring the leader's example.12

Freud's ego theory, outlined in his work, describes the ego as the part of the personality that experiences the "self" and interacts with the external world. The ego integrates the primitive drives of the id and the ethical component of the superego, providing consistency to behavior by linking past memories with present and future actions.3