Wo Es war, soll Ich werden

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"Wo Es war, soll Ich werden" (English: "Where It was, shall I be") is a famous declaration by Freud about the relation between the unconscious and conscious.

Freud hoped that, by bringing the contents of the unconscious into consciousness, he could minimize repression and neurosis

The English translation of the German "Wo Es war, soll Ich werden" is "Where It was, shall I be". In other words, the "it," or "id" (unconscious) will be replaced by the "I", by consciousness and self-identity.

Freud's goal was to strengthen the ego, the "I" self, the conscious/rational identity, so it would be more powerful than the unconscious.