Give us an example of one instance in which you or someone you know (make up a name to protect the innocent or guilty) used an ego defense mechanism. Be sure to identify the defense mechanism used. Then tell us if you believe ego defense mechanisms are real and a natural way to deal with difficult psychological conditions. Be sure to explain why or why not.
Due by Friday, October 7.
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after my dad stopped paying child support and dropped off the face of the earth, i repressed most of my childhood memories, as i had been in contact with him every other weekend since i was seven. I now find it hard to recall all but the most outstanding events of my childhood, and those are fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteI think ego defense mechanisms are a perfectly natural way of dealing with anxieties, they developed in a small subset of individuals in our distant ancestors, and for some reason these ancestors were much more effective at surviving to have kids, so now we all have essentially the same ego defense mechanisms. This evolutionary trend in favor of the defense mechanisms is evidence enough that they are good for us.
on the other hand, I like to remember my life.
The Id, Ego, and Superego play a part in everyone. Although each individual may express themselves/ their feelings and anxieties in a different way, the foundations are all there. Ego defense mechanisms are there, in a sense, to protect us from comments or realities that the mind does not want to face. A friend of mine in particular faces extra anxieties that many of us could not understand. When she was younger, she was anarexic and weighed as little as 70 lbs at age 13. Being especially tall for her age, she was picked on for being too tall and thin. Her way of dealing with people and conflicts was to be cocky and to make herself feel superior to the rest. It was her way of 'getting back' at everyone who had ever bothered her. She felt as though if she was to let her guard down, she would be as weak and powerless as she felt in the beginning stages of her anorexia. To this day, she is healthy and very sweet but if you got to know her well enough, the emotional scars are still there and very much a part of her.
ReplyDeleteWell i'm sure the majority of us have used at least a few of the ego defense mechanisms. If someone says they haven't told "that little white lie", then theyre most likely lying. As i said today repression was mentioned in Nightmare on Elm Street. The kids in the movie got raped by the gardener at their school and had it as a repressed memory because it was a horrific experience. I think ego defense mechanisms do indeed exist because most of the ones Freud has brought up, most people have used them or know someone that has used them.
ReplyDeleteRepression is as much a part of my life as eating or breathing. Especially, especially regarding the anxiety storm that is college. When the thoughts surface it becomes, "will I get accepted?" "Will I get Aid?" "Will I like the School?" "Will I Make Friends?" "Will I party too much?" "Will I graduate?" "Will I become a bum?" "Will I die sad and alone?" ..... it gets worse. Repression is a tool that keeps me sane. It is a life support thing, a sort of ace in the hole for humanity. It acts as a sort of runoff channel for people, so they can get things accomplished instead of being paralyzed with anxiety.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cam. I beleive repression keeps us as a society in line. It gives us gudielines and a structure for what we should do. Like Cam said repression is used for people to get things accomplished and completed.
ReplyDeletemy freshman year i failed english and i blamed it on the teacher. even though i probably could have done better myself but i just decided the teacher sucked and gave up. so i believe that there are defence mechanisms that your mind uses to make it easier for yourself. this is natural with all living things even animals if they cant get a certain food source they will go find another one instead of trying for that one food. such as lions if they cant catch a big animal they go for the slow one.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in seventh grade I had a math teacher that I didn't like at all. She was very hard and gave a lot of work. Not because she didn't like us or was mean, but because she liked to push us. I failed her class due to lack of effort, and mainly because I didn't understand what she was trying to teach. Because I was so frustrated I blamed it on her and said it was all her fault for my failing. I said she was hard, and mean, and piled on "busy" work because she didn't like to teach. I wasn't fond of her much at all. But rather than admitting to myself that I had slacked off and could have passed the class, I blamed it on her. I believe that people use defense mechanism's like this one everyday. It's apart of who we are, we are trying to protect ourselves from things that subconsciously we don't want to see.
ReplyDeleteIn the show skins the character named Cassie is anorexic.Through out one episode she kept seeing the words "eat" in various things such as food, and text messages. She uses logical reasoning to explain these weird events. However when he confronts her accused friend about the text messages they are gone. This is an example of rationalization. It is really her unconscious telling her to eat when she denies it and calms herself down by logical reasons.
ReplyDeleteSara
ReplyDeleteOne ego defense mechanism that I think we’ve all used is displacement. We’re mad at someone else or an event that was upsetting and when we cannot release whatever bad emotions we’re harboring we turn it to someone else. I, myself have use that many times unfortunately. For example if I’m having a particularly difficult day and I come home and my mother will ask me a question along the lines of “how was your game…or was it a practice..?” Normally her ignorance of whether I have a game or not and her apparent obliviousness to whether I’m wearing my uniform or not is tolerable and I’ll explain it to her; where as if I’ve had a long day I would snap at her. I believe that the ego defense mechanisms are real and in our everyday lives. They are a way of preserving our beings and avoiding pain, two very instinctual actions. I’ve seen or performed many of the defense mechanisms so I can say that yes, they are real and perhaps necessary for our survival.
Marissa N
ReplyDeleteI think that ego defense mechanisms are used in everyones life. For me, I know that when I do bad in a class, right away I think it's the teachers fault and I look at what 'they did wrong' when really it was what I should've done to recieve the grade I wanted / deserved. Freud brought up quite a few defense mechanisms and I would be suprised if someone said that haven't used one or they don't know anyone who has.
Rob
ReplyDeleteA certain individual close to my family (ok, its my sister) has a unique way of dealing with problems that she doesn’t want to discuss. Whenever a discussion comes up about something sensitive or family oriented that she doesn’t want to talk about, she will say “I don’t want to talk about it.” If the matter is pressed, she will get aggravated and she will simply walk away, which I consider to be childish and not a way to take on your challenges by grabbing them by the horns. I’m sure Mr. Freud would agree with me on this matter.
Marissa M
ReplyDeleteI know a boy who uses the ego defense mechanism all the time, or somewhere along the lines of it. Everytime I call him out on something he did to intentionally hurt me, he tries to turn it right back around on me and make it something I did, or change the subject to someone else and what they did wrong in order to make him do this. When in reality, he's just a jerk and doesn't want to admit so.
Also, I have used the ego defense mechanism recently as well. My precalc teacher is the worst teacher known to man (no names mentioned) and I am doing very poorly in her class. I do all my homework, but I just dont understand what shes saying half the time and she goes way too fast. I have always said "oh shes such a bad teacher" when in reality she is, but i also could have stayed after for help (even though she never offers to) or i could have tried to switch out (which i am in the process of doing).
I think a lot of people use this mechanism, no one wants a bruised ego. Pointing the finger and the blame at someone else is just human nature, it's what this society is good at, no one wants to be the "bad guy".
chanelle
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ego Defense Mechanisums exsist and that everyone uses them in their life. Once experience was when my bestfriend lost her cousin last may. The news hit her so hard that she actaully wouldnt believe that it was real. She would talk to me like everything was okay and even bring up her cousin in ways that she made her still sound alive. Ofcourse eventally the tramatic expierence became realer to her and everyone but thats an example where myself and/or people would go into denial and push the idea from their head .
Mitchell
ReplyDeleteMy friend “bob” loves to play videogames. Every day he comes home, he plays them. For example, when he plays call of duty, if he dies many times in a row, he becomes angry. At first he just yells at the TV, hoping his death streak will stop. If it continues, he starts to throw stuff. I don’t mean a light toss, but a good toss. There have been multiple times when he is impaled the wall with things he has thrown. Also, if I make comments when he is dying a lot, he becomes mad at me. Also, sometimes, if his mother walks in at the time of him doing bad at the videogame, that anger is tossed at his mother. My friend, at these moments, is using Displacement. He is angered by something and he rationalizes that he needs to yell, or throw stuff. They are real because it happens to my friend every time he plays video games. Saying it’s not true, is denial(which of course is another ego).
drew
ReplyDeleteI agree with anthony, if someone has said they have not told a little white lie then they are most likley lying. There is a time in everyones life that they must tell that little while lie to maby protect someone. For example if a childs dog dies when they are young and would not understand why or how the dog dies, then the parents could say the pupy ran away, or they may buy another dog that looks the same and say its the same dog. These ego defense mechanisms can help project someone you love from a hard truth.