Freud viewed the mind as a three-layered structure with different functions (structural theory). He pointed out that any imbalance between these three layers would eventually lead to a tragic situation of mental collapse. Freud explained that people use various defense mechanisms to prevent this collapse.
Let’s take a look at the general definition of defense mechanisms in the Kojien.
An automatic, unconscious adaptation to protect oneself in situations of anxiety, conflict, or frustration. It includes projection and rationalization.
Freud lists and organizes various types of projection and rationalization in addition to projection and rationalization.
| defense mechanism | explanation |
|---|---|
| projection | To view one’s own feelings and desires as if they belong to someone else. |
| rationalize | Attempting to convince by logical substitution for unfulfilled desires. |
| oppression | To drive unacceptable feelings and desires out of consciousness. |
| reaction formation | Showing behavior contrary to feelings and desires. |
| identification | Acting as if one’s own despite the fame or authority of others. |
| regression | More immature attitudes and behaviors when encountering difficult situations. |
| replacement | The act of directing feelings and desires to a different target than they should be directed to. |
| intellectualization | Attempting to process events that one cannot understand by knowledge or ideas. |
| compensation | Trying to compensate for inferiority complexes in other ways. |
| sublimation | The expression of feelings and desires that are not socially acceptable in a socially valuable way. |
As you can see, Freud extracts many of the defense mechanisms as negative responses, while compensation and sublimation can be viewed as positive actions.
Compensation can lead to overcoming a complex by refining one’s strengths that are different from others, as in the case of “springing a complex”. The reason why “inferior” is added to the word “complex” is because complex itself means complex or compound, and “inferiority complex” is the psychologically correct expression.
Sublimation is about directing oneself toward socially meaningful behavior. If you follow in the footsteps of successful people, you will see that sublimation is very often what makes their success possible. Connecting a person’s vulnerability to sublimation for the future… this could be said to be the key to a coaching session.
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This article was written in Japanese and converted into English using a translation tool. We hope you will forgive us for any inadequacies.
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