Oral

• Birth to two years
• pleasure from oral stimulation like tasting and sucking
• During the oral stage, a baby’s libido, or innate pleasure-seeking energy, is focused on the mouth.
• The baby derives immense satisfaction from engaging in oral activities such as sucking, biting, breastfeeding, and chewing various objects, satisfying their inherent desires.
• During the oral stages, the baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido.
• An example of this stage is an infant who gains pleasure from sucking on a pacifier or bottle. This gives them satisfaction and helps them learn about their environment.
• Freud theorized that experiences during the oral stage significantly influence personality development.
• he suggested that a child underfed or frustrated during feedings might become a pessimistic, envious, and suspicious adult.
• a child who is overfed or overly gratified could become optimistic, gullible, and full of admiration.
• Freud also linked oral behaviors to specific personality types in adulthood. For example, a person fixated on the oral stage may engage in excessive eating, smoking, nail-biting, or becoming overly talkative, symbolizing the continued fulfillment of oral needs.
• We see oral personalities around us, such as smokers, nail-biters, over-eaters, and thumb-suckers.  Oral personalities engage in such oral behaviors, particularly when under stress.