According to Freud, where do mental conflicts primarily arise from?

Freud's theory posits that mental conflicts primarily stem from desires that are repressed into the unconscious mind. He believed that individuals possess basic instincts and desires, particularly of a sexual and aggressive nature, which, if unacceptable to the individual or society, are pushed out of conscious awareness into the unconscious. This repression can lead to internal conflict, anxiety, and various psychological symptoms, as the repressed desires seek expression but are not accessible to the conscious mind.

Freud emphasized that these unresolved conflicts form the basis of neuroses, manifesting through dreams, slips of the tongue, and various psychological issues. Thus, he viewed understanding these repressed desires and bringing them to consciousness as critical for psychotherapy and resolving mental conflicts.

In contrast, while learned behaviors from peers, biological predispositions, and coping mechanisms are aspects that can influence behavior and mental health, they do not capture the central role of repression in Freud's model of the psyche and conflict resolution. This focus on repression highlights the origins of mental conflicts as fundamentally rooted in the unconscious, underlining the importance of exploring these aspects in the therapeutic process.