I'm not addicted to eating junk food. I'm just adequately getting the nutrition I need to stay healthy.
Defense Mechanisms ComicBy: Elleen Kim
I'm so mad!!! I'm just going to pour my frustration into a new painting.
Denial is a person's refusal to accept reality so that they do not have to face it. Mary is denying the fact that she over-consumes junk food and is telling herself that she is eating reasonable amounts that enable her to stay healthy.
You're so close-minded! We need to buy that new house right away!
But we can save money and buy a better house!
Displacement is when a person takes out his or her impulses on a more acceptable substitute. Bob was angry at his coworkers but redirected his anger to his pet pig.
I didn't get accepted to Oxford, but going out of the country for college is too much. I can just travel to Europe.
Sublimation involves the channeling of negative impulses into less damaging or even productive behaviors. Maria was frustrated after her friend almost killed her pet fish. Instead of getting angry at her friend, Maria went to direct her frustration into a new painting project.
Projection is when individuals attribute their own unacceptable characteristics and feelings to others. Joe is accusing Pam of being close-minded when he is the one who is not taking into consideration other options like saving money for a better house than the one he wants to buy.
Rationalization is when unacceptable behaviors or feelings are justified and explained to make them more tolerable. Sarah is making her college rejection more acceptable by making the excuse that she didn't want to go to college out of the country anyways.