Humor and the faces of the Superego

Abstract

The present text aims to undertake a discussion about the Freudian conception of humor, emphasizing the participation of the Superego in the creation and disposition of humor. It is intended, initially, to highlight the metapsychology of humor from the Freudian texts “The joke and its relation with the unconscious” (1905) and “The humor” (1927), highlighting the introduction of the concept of Superego in order to elucidate the humorist's attitude towards himself; then, perform an articulation between the notions and concepts of helplessness, castration, anguish and death in order to relate them to the Superego in its tyrannical face. Finally, discuss the participation of the Superego in the humorous process based on the Freudian thesis of its overinvestment and studies of contemporary authors who have contributed to the advancement of the understanding of the Superego's disposition, qualified as benevolent. It is, therefore, a literature review, whose findings point to a vivifying vision of the Superego, which allows the subject to enjoy, even in the face of the adversities of life and its vulnerabilities, through the symbolization of castration and the eroticization of the Superego.