This ego ideal contains rules for good behaviour and standards of excellence toward which the ego has to strive. When the child cannot bear ambivalence between the real self and the ego ideal and defenses are used too often, it is called pathologic.
This ego ideal comprises standards of excellence and behavioral norms toward which the ego strives for self-improvement. When the individual struggles to reconcile their authentic self with the idealized ego, leading to maladaptive coping strategies, it is classified as a pathological condition.