| October 2, 2006 | Keeping An Open Mind |
|
||
|
||
|
Most of us have been accused of “being defensive” at one time or another. Defending yourself is a natural mechanism that often gets deployed automatically. However Defense Mechanisms, in psychological terms, serve to protect us against ourselves. Seems like a strange idea, doesn’t it? Why would we need protection from ourselves? Basic psychological theory tells us that our ego, the part of our psychic structure that tries to mediate between our powerful inner impulses and the outside world, is constantly trying to keep us sane and free of anxiety. That is no small task. In fact the ego is under a lot of pressure. The concept of Defense Mechanisms was originally created by Sigmund Freud but it was Anna Freud (Sigmund's daughter) in her book, The Ego and Mechanisms of Defense, who clarified and enhanced the concept. They have become part of our culture and help to explain much of our behavior. |
Ego Defense Mechanisms
The Ego Defense Mechanisms are mostly unconscious psychological processes. We really don’t think about them they just happen automatically. They develop early on as we grow from childhood. The Ego is the part of the personality that helps us deal with the real world. Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality, from which the idea of the Ego is derived, is far too complex to review at length in this Newsletter. Part of the theory, simply put however, is that a... |
|
The Top Defenses
The following are some of the most recognizable defense mechanisms. See if you can identify which one(s) work best and help you the most in everyday life. Denial (of reality): It is the refusal to accept what is real and acting or behaving as though we do not recognize the conse... |
 |
