Final answer:
According to Sigmund Freud, the ego is the part of the human mind charged with finding compromises between fundamental human desires and drives and the constraints imposed by civilized society. It operates on the reality principle and strives to balance the id and superego.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Sigmund Freud, the ego is the part of the human mind charged with finding compromises between fundamental human desires and drives, such as the aggressive and pleasure-seeking impulses of the id, and the constraints imposed by civilized society, internalized in the superego. The ego operates on the reality principle and works to balance the primitive desires of the id, which demands immediate gratification, and the moral and judgmental standards of the superego, which monitors and aims to uphold societal norms and values. Through its mediating efforts, the ego seeks to fulfill the id's desires in a socially appropriate manner and to maintain a sense of self that navigates between the two extremes.