Remember when Enneagram teachers and writers would describe Types One, Two and Six as “the Superego types”, as if they were the only ones with a Superego or Inner Critic?
To be fair, maybe that didn’t happen and that was my misunderstanding. Anyway, it isn’t true. Each of the types has a Superego.
Becoming aware of the Superego – sometimes called Superego or Inner Critic ‘Work’ – underlies many therapeutic approaches. “There isn’t really freedom as long as we live in the shadow and tyranny of the Superego”, says the Diamond Approach Founder, A. H. Almaas. A little bit of self-observation proves him correct.
As a student of the Diamond Approach, I write about this topic from its perspective. Superego work is viewed as fundamental, something to apply an attitude of impeccability to.
From the Diamond Approach perspective, the Superego is the inner coercive agency that stands against the expansion of awareness and inner development, regardless of how mild or reasonable it becomes. It is a substitute, and a cruel one, for direct perception and knowledge. Inner development requires that in time there be no internal coercive agencies. There will be instead inner regulation based on objective perception, understanding, and love. – Diamond Approach Glossary of Spiritual Wisdom
From the perspective of the Diamond Approach, the main problem with the Superego isn’t that we feel terrible under its influence, although of course we do. The problem is that it is a barrier to the truth. The Superego is seen as the primary obstacle between us and awareness.
Superego or Inner Critic on a developmental continuum
The fact that the Superego or Inner Critic is an inner structure that we all share points to its evolutionary necessity.
Formed when we were dependent on others for our basic survival, the Superego is the internalised parent function, helping us to modulate our thoughts, feelings and expressions for those that will lose us support. Support for what, exactly, becomes an interesting inquiry.
This is not the end of the story, however. We can undertake a second stage development by which we disengage from the Superego, and replace it with inner regulation.
Outcome of Superego or Inner Critic work
It is true that freedom from the Superego or Inner Critic means greater expansion in our lives (bolder expression and action).
However liberation from the Superego or Inner Critic, at least initially, also engenders the experience of previously defended-against emotions. Without its mediation, we may notice more helplessness, fear, anger, hostility, hatred – etc.
In a way, the choice is between being rendered powerless by the Superego or Inner Critic, or experiencing the condition of helplessness (for example), which is challenging but real, and on route to something important.
Beyond the Superego or Inner Critic
An objection to Superego or Inner Critic work that can arise is that without it, we will lose our capacity for self-control.
The truth is more complicated than that. The Superego is a source of self-control, but there is a superior source of self-governance. One that isn’t coercive and that naturally leads us into action. The discovery of this in our lived experience can be surprising.
How the Superego stops us from being where we are
The goal of being where we are (or being present) isn’t unique to the Diamond Approach, but the identified value of doing so is specific in that path. It is through being where we are that we make the endless discoveries about our True Nature.
Learning to be where we are is deceivingly difficult! I am sure you have already discovered that there are a lot of things preventing a simple presence.
When we begin to practice being where we are, the Superego is among the very first structures we encounter. Referred to sometimes as an ‘Apex’, it sits on top of deeper psychological structures. It is therefore one of the more straightforward inner mechanisms to recognise.
The litmus test for the Superego or Inner Critic’s presence is asking yourself “is this okay? Is what I am experiencing right now okay to be here?”.
Identifying the Superego
Let’s say we’ve committed to being where we are. We’ve taken the aim (a Gurdjieff term I think) that we will stay with ourselves whatever we encounter. And lets say we are running up against something that looks and sounds a lot like the Superego or Inner Critic.
How to be sure that it’s the Superego or Inner Critic operating? This is a good question to keep asking.
One hallmark of the Superego or Inner Critic is negative self-judgment. Although it may occasionally pat us on the back for a job well done, the Superego or Inner critic mostly criticises, bullies, chastises, harangues (it’s “for our own good”).
The Superego or Inner Critic isn’t always verbal, though. Another ‘tell’ is noticing that we are feeling bad about ourselves and our capacities, seemingly out of nowhere. Inquiring into this, we might be able to track back through recent experience and see that we started to feel attacked when xyz happened. We all need to get to know our personal triggers.
Sometimes we project the Superego or Inner Critic onto other people. Look for judgments that are familiar, for instance, people thinking that we are selfish or stupid.
A good arena within which to recognize, understand, and deal with the Superego is in our relationships with others. This is primarily because one frequently projects one’s Superego onto certain individuals, and relates to them as one does to one’s own Superego. Of course, this defense mechanism of projection helps to keep the Superego unconscious, just as any defense mechanism does. – Work on the Superego, page 8.
5 things that look like the Superego or Inner Critic, but aren’t
As with any single teaching when viewed in isolation, it is easy to over apply it, leading to mis-categorisation. Attributing things to the Superego or Inner Critic when they have other sources. This becomes a barrier to self-knowledge. Below are a few other inner structures that we might mistake as the Superego or Inner Critic.
1. Certain Self-Images
A Self-Image is an inner image of our identity or body (entity) that remains fairly constant in our minds. We develop many Self-Images and these replace the spacious ground of the mind, which is its baseline condition. Some are very old and there are some newer ones.
The work we do on our Self-Images is different from Superego work, and so we need not to confuse them.
Some Self-Images can look a bit like the Superego. For instance, many of us have an identity of being right (good, correct, integrous and helpful). We know this about ourselves if there is judgment and frustration of others or ourselves for failure to be good, integrous, etc.
There might be Superego or Inner Critic and a Self-Image operating at the same time. The Superego is responsible for self-attacks. A Self-Image is what can define the content of what we will attack.
2. Feelings of hatred, hostility and aggression (manifestations of the Survival Drive)
Not so long ago, I had been assuming that feeling critical of others was my Superego or Inner Critic turned outwards. The more that I study different aspects of the psyche, and pay attention when I notice this pattern, the more I see its manifestation as the aggression of the Survival Drive, which for me currently is distorted.
3. Condition of the Heart
Enneagram students will recall the Passion associated with Enneagram Ones: Anger. Passions are conditions of the spiritually unmatured heart. Anger transforms into Serenity, but this is an emotional development requiring working on our emotions rather than defending against the presence of Anger or dismissing it.
4. The Rejecting Object Relation
When we find ourselves assuming negative judgment in others, we can almost be certain of the presence of the Superego or Inner Critic. Projections help to externalise the structures living in our minds.
There are a couple of exceptions. Sometimes the judgment is not imagined and we really are being judged – by other people’s Superegos, related to their Self-Images. This is how it mostly is in life outside of inner work groups.
The more important exception to be aware of is the Rejecting Object Relations Unit. The Rejecting Object Relations Unit gets confused with the Superego/Inner Critic quite easily because when that inner structure becomes animated, we feel as though we are being attacked or we are attacking, or rejected/rejecting.
The Diamond Approach spiritual path doesn’t teach the Rejecting Object Relations Unit as being exclusively the domain of Type Eights, Fives and Twos. It’s true that people of these Enneagram types might find that Object Relations Unit to be the most commonly used of the three universal Object Relations Units (the others are the Central Object Relations Unit and the Libidinal Object Relations Unit). But each individual needs to explore for themselves.
As with Self-Images, the Superego might be present at the same time as the Rejecting Object Relations Unit. As this happened to me recently, I can share an example.
Example
There is a health professional I have been seeing for around a year. At our last meeting, I perceived some abruptness from her, which I connected with my earlier refusal to agree to her request to move my appointment. The Rejecting Object Relations Unit became active, and the Self-Image was that I was wrong – feeling like a scared little kid against the powerful parent. A series of images and projections ensued around her judgment of me as weak and pathetic, someone to take advantage of. I was imagining her laughing about me with her partner. My Superego was having it so that I wasn’t able to be with my feelings of defenselessness and my sense of being rejected. You can see how the Superego was protecting me from something difficult in this instance. However, it was also limiting my range of responses and keeping me fixed in that Object Relations Unit.
5. Ordinary states and conditions of ego deficiency
We may mistake difficult and unpleasant states that arise as we undergo self-awareness work for the presence of the Superego. The state of deficiency, for instance, that manifests as we chip away aspects of the identity. Or the state of fakeness and plasticity that emerges. It is important to allow these conditions of the soul rather than defend against them.
Defending against the Superego or Inner Critic
In the early years of our practice of being where we are, we need to constantly recognize the Superego and its ploys and learn how to defend against them. The second stage of working with the Superego begins after we have learned to defend against it with strength, boldness, and aggressiveness. We can often dissolve an attack simply by knowing that the Superego is attacking us and understanding why. – The Unfolding Now, page 66.
Each individual needs to develop their own effective defence to their Superego.
Some people need to unleash some aggressive energy onto this structure, and others of us simply need to quietly name it.
The author and Diamond Approach teacher Byron Brown has written a book dedicated to this subject (title ‘Soul Without Shame’) which I recommend to everyone.
Recruiting the Superego / Inner Critic
Something I have observed experienced spiritual students do is begin to use appearances from their Superego or Inner Critic as objects of inquiry. The Superego moves from being in the way to becoming the way.
Can the Enneagram help us with identifying our Superego or Inner Critic?
There is no guarantee of what is going to engage an individual’s Superego or Inner Critic. The Superego or Inner Critic’s character is unique, patterned by internalizing and identifying with the prohibitions, rules, values, and preferences of the parents and society at large.
However, Enneagram students that are brand new to Superego or Inner Critic work might want to use the Enneagram to shine the flashlight on likely areas of Superego activity. This is making the Enneagram practical in our inner work.
Ego Ideals
The relationship between our Enneagram types and our Superego activity touches on another necessary topic: Ego Ideals. An Ego Ideal is a type of Self-Image (an identity one versus an entity or body one).
Ego Ideals are the subject of Diamond Approach Founder A H Almaas’ latest Enneagram book (title ‘Keys to the Enneagram’). His book identifies the main Ego Ideal for each Enneagram type.
It is not an exact science, but consider the ideals related to the Ego Ideal of your Enneagram type and ask yourself whether you tend to have self-judgment around the expression of the opposite ideals.
Likely Superego or Inner Critic activity for the types
Nines – around being self-centred, narcissistic, self-aggrandising etc.
Ones – around making mistakes, lacking in integrity, etc.
Twos – around being insensitive to others, clueless about them or resentful, etc.
Threes – around being incompetent and not held in good regard, etc.
Fours – around being fake, duplicitous, phony, dull and unoriginal, etc.
Fives – around being ignorant and foolish, unwise, etc.
Sixes – around being unreliable, unsupportive, unprepared, acting recklessly, etc.
Sevens – around feeling unhappy, bored, or being a downer for others, etc.
Eights – around being weak and vulnerable, compromised, etc.
A side point about the Enneagram and the Superego or Inner Critic: the Superego or Inner Critic loves knowledge systems like the Enneagram (!) and recruits them for its own purpose. So do be on high alert for appearances as you study the Enneagram.
There isn’t a hard and fast rule for how the Superego or Inner Critic shows up regarding the Ego Ideal. You would think, for example, that the Superego or Inner Critic appears when we act outside of the Ego Ideal, but the opposite can also be true.
Superego or Inner Critic and the Survival Drives
It is interesting to think about the Superego or Inner Critic’s relationship with the three Survival Drives (or Instincts). Given our Superego’s MO is survival, and our Survival Drives’ MOs are survival, you would think that these two would operate in tandem with one another.
The Superego or Inner Critic doesn’t protect us from genuine survival threats, however. Its investment is in the survival of the ego self, the personality.
We each need to investigate how our Survival Drives express themselves separately from the Superego or Inner Critic exploration.
The Superego or Inner Critic acts as a guardian of unconscious material, and the Survival Drives operate in ways that are deeply unconscious. So you might find that your Superego or Inner Critic gets very active as you try to investigate how your Survival Drives manifest in your functioning.
Summary
1. Make the decision to care about noticing your Superego or Inner Critic. If you are interested in inner liberation, you need to prioritise Superego or Inner Critic Work. Feel the limits of letting this structure run your life. This work is not only about feeling better, but experiencing ourselves without its mediation.
2. Be clear on how to recognise your Superego or Inner Critic. It is probably your Superego or Inner Critic when judgment is showing up heavily in your thinking, you are feeling bad about yourself for something, or you are imagining others judging you. If you are exploring something about your condition, it is probably your Superego or Inner Critic if you get the urge to move away from it. It is probably not your Superego or Inner Critic if you regularly have the idea that you are superior to people, you feel aggression when you don’t get what you want, you are feeling afraid, rejected or under attack by someone or you are feeling the state of deficiency.
3. Use the Enneagram if you are struggling to identify how your Superego or Inner Critic shows up. In particular, consider the Ego Ideal(s) connected with your Type.