Ego Defense Mechanism: A Psychological Analysis
Introduction Psychoanalyst and personality theorist, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), described anxiety as a feeling of danger and threat to which the ego must respond. Even though the original threat, emanates from the psychic energy of other parts of the personality, id and superego, nonetheless, a protection or defense must be launched. “The ego must reduce the conflict between the demands of the id and the strictures of society or the superego” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013). It is the ego that decides the best way to satisfy the impulses of the id and superego, choosing one or two defense mechanisms to deploy within its’ behavior. Authors, Schultz and Schultz (2013) describe two such defense mechanisms as: • Rationalization A defense mechanism …show more content…
p 54 Ego Defense Mechanisms A description of a situation in which someone may experience a conflict between the impulses of the id and superego, creating a state of anxiety, includes; a contentious relationship between a mother and daughter. Unconsciously, anxiety triggers feelings of frustration, anger, and aggression in which the daughter believes her mother is at fault for the behavior. This blame occurs whether the triggering event was real or perceived by the daughter, sometimes these feelings have no basis of fact. In this situation, the ego may use a projection defense mechanism against the perceived attack. For example; a woman’s anxiety rises to a point of attacking her mother’s credibility during a family gathering. She projects onto her mother the reasons for the anxiety, even though there was no corresponding event that anyone else could …show more content…
48). These basic instincts manifests from separate parts of the personality into a psychic energy triggering anxiety. Subsequently, the ego’s response, the deployment of defense mechanisms. Therefore, erratic and aggressive behaviors within a personality follow the threat of attack. Furthermore: “All the interests, preferences, and attitudes we display as adults were believed by Freud to be displacements of energy from the original objects that satisfied the instinctual needs” (2013,
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949 Words | 4 PagesLeper went over in his chair and collapsed against the floor” (Knowles 137). This example of displacement reveals. Another example of defense mechanisms used by Gene is rationalization. Rationalization is a defense mechanism in which feelings or behaviors are justified in a seemingly logical manner. Freud says that,"The poor ego has a still harder time of it; it has to serve three harsh masters, and it has to do its best to reconcile the claims and demands of all three...
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1555 Words | 7 PagesTransference A Freudian concept that has been proven to be useful and beneficial in exploring a client’s behavior and unexplored feelings is that of defense mechanisms (Maltby, Day ,and Macaskill 2010).Defense mechanisms are meant to protect an individual from unpleasant thoughts and emotions .According to the Freudian theory a defense mechanism is a tactic developed by the ego to protect against anxiety. Defence mechanisms are thought to safeguard the mind against feelings and thoughts that are too difficult for the conscious mind to cope with. (Maltby, Day ,and Macaskill 2010).
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1206 Words | 5 PagesFreud believes defense mechanisms “protect the conscious mind from contradictions between the animalistic id and the idealistic superego” (Cherry, Kendra). In Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the id is one’s desires, and the superego is the idealistic center of the mind (Cherry, Kandra). The rational part of the mind, or the ego, “is responsible for managing the impulses of the id” and often resorts to defense mechanisms as a temporary escape from the conflicts between the id and superego (Cherry, Kandra). The defense mechanism Willy uses is Fantasy, which includes daydreaming, and by applying Freud’s theory, Willy’s daydreaming is a factor that helps to repress the desire of becoming successful and the moral understanding of there being failure. Yet, this method of coping is more constant rather than temporary within Willy, causing him to steer more into having severe
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473 Words | 2 Pages(Seligman and Reichenberg, 2014) The ego is aware of both pressures from the ID and superego and seeks to moderate both and meet both needs. (Seligman and Reichenberg, 2014) This theory can used in nearly every decision that you make throughout life; from as simple as trying to make the right decision in the grocery store to deciding whether or not you should be truthfully when witnessing someone doing wrong.
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