Defense Mechanisms
How We Manage Anxiety (and Get Stuck)
A Case For Defense Mechanisms
Defense Mechanisms are our inbuilt anxiety management system.
Denial, projection, repression, intellectualization, shield us from anxiety and protect our self-esteem.
Imagine your most embarrassing memories were playing in our head 24/7. Imagine you were constantly aware of the fact that everyone you love is going to die (and not in the motivational memento mori sense). Or that you had no way to repress aggressive impulses — life would be unliveable.
Luckily, just like our bodily immune system fights off intruding pathogens, we have a psychological system that unconsciously fights off intruding emotions, fears, memories, or thoughts.
Defense mechanisms are mechanisms we use to distort reality, ourself, or others to make things more bearable. Helping us to lessen anxiety, shield our self-esteem, and fend of other uncomfortable emotions. Basically making life liveable and culture possible.
