Ego defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies that individuals use to cope with anxiety and protect their ego from conflicting thoughts or impulses. These mechanisms work involuntarily, distorting reality in order to reduce stress and maintain psychological equilibrium.
Related terms
Repression: An unconscious mechanism where threatening thoughts or memories are pushed out of awareness.
Denial: A refusal to accept reality despite overwhelming evidence, acting as if something didn't happen.
Projection: Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings onto someone else, seeing in others what we refuse to acknowledge in ourselves.