Cecil is sexually attracted to his middle-school English teacher. He doesn't act on his feelings however, because he realizes that it is unrealistic that his teacher would respond positively to his advances. According to Sigmund Freud, which part of the personality would be responsible for Cecil's restraint?

A) the collective unconscious
B) the id
C) the ego
D) the superego

The ego is the part of the personality responsible for balancing the impulses of the id with the constraints of reality. In this scenario, Cecil's ego is able to recognize the reality of the situation and prevent him from acting on his desires. The superego, on the other hand, is responsible for internalized moral and ethical codes, but it is less relevant to this particular scenario.