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, March 6.
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This guy Dave went to the hospital in complete denial that he needed a kidney transplant. He was so convinced that nothing was wrong that he actually stood up out of his hospital bed and walked out of the building, after removing all of his inserted tubes and IV's. After this, he passed out on the sidewalk outside of the hospital, was readmitted, received the transplant and denied that it ever happened. The defense mechanisms are often an immature way of dealing with seemingly difficult situations. Rather than accepting what is true, some people find it very easy and natural to deny their very existence. In a way, these mechanisms can only hurt the forward progress of society. For example, if the president were to be in denial of something very real such as a secret military, it would very much be detrimental to the nation and their faith in the honesty of our government.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is very envious of me. She is the same age as me and we grew up together. Over the years she has copied many different ideas from me. I would get a new outfit and the next day she would have almost the same thing. She used rationalization in explaining to me how this happened. She said she just happened to be at a different store and they had almost the same piece of clothing, but she didn't realize that I had the same thing. She used to use white lies to cover up her envy or the real truth that she just wanted what I had.
ReplyDeleteOne day, I was watching this medical show, and it was about this guy who find out that he was XXY! He was so stunned and told the doctor not to tell his wife. He lied to his wife because he was in Denial of his prognosis. After that, the doctor told him that the daughter that he shared with his wife was not his daughter, because being XXY means that you are sterile (cannot have kids). Even after finding out that his wife obviously cheated on him, he still didn't say anything to her, because then he would have to admit that he is XXY,and therefore he cannot be the father of their child. He is willing to live a lie in order to hide from his wife that he is XXY. That is what I call ultimate denial.
ReplyDeleteIn instance in which someone I knew used an ego defense mechanism was a few years ago. I had a friend who like Jessica's denied that she was not copying my sense of style just coincidently had the same exact thing from the same exact store. Using rationalism, she tried to persuade me into thinking that she indeed did not copy me but just so happened to have the same things I had.
ReplyDeleteI think ego defense mechanisms are a real way to deal with difficult psychological conditions because sometimes its easier to forget,deny or focus attention elsewhere than to face a problem directly. For example, I use displacement. When something is bothering me and I'm really mad, I become a horrible driver and speed to take my anger out on something else. Also, I know someone who I used to be friends with who is a constant liar. "Bob" makes up things that are completely ridiculous for no reason. When Bob would get caught, for example....if Bob's girlfriend would catch on to a lie, Bob would use denial and say he knew nothing about it. Bob also uses projection because he would accuse people of lying when really he was the one lying.
ReplyDeleteprobably one of the most recallable ego defence mechanisms that i can think about is repression in the use of like a friend telling there parents that there homework wasnt due so they could go out
ReplyDeleteanother easy one is remembering back in elementry school when being accused of liking a girl and resorting to reaction formatin and saying that i didnt.
I know people who use ego defense mechanism's all the time, including me. I always tell my mom that a homework assignment isn't due on the day that it actually is, and in cases that I happen to be sick and I am fully aware of being sick, I always deny it for some reason. It's just something I think is naturally. I don't think we could help it.
ReplyDeleteNick
ReplyDeleteI thnk that people need to use these ego defence mechanisms to go on with their life. Some people cant deal with embarrsment or anything like that so they have to use denial and rationalism, but others use them as much as they can. I have a friend Rafiel who is always lying to his parents to get out of trouble, but he is really bad at it. He is always getting caught, but every time his parents try to say something to him he flips out an uses projectionism to make his parents feel like they misheard him or something like that. He always gets away with it though. But when he is telling the truth his parents are always think he is trying to lie to them. So these defence mechanisms can be useful at times but if over used, they can be someones down fall.
I agree with Nick in the fact people due use the defence mechanism in order to move on with their lives. I feel as if most people are scared to deal with people or events that take place in their loves, so instead of confronting them, they use the defence mechanism in order to get around them without actually confronting them. This isnt the correct way to go about things, but its human nature sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThe one ego defense mechanism i use all the time is repression. I actually do it all the time but in a way i think it brings my best work out. Whenever i have a project that isn't due for about a month i'll usually make an excuse to myself so i dont have to work on it because i'd rather be doing something else. Then the weekend before the whole project is due i do most of it and even on weekends i don't start till i get home at night which is around 11 but i think i do my best work then. I feel ego defense mechanism is a natural way for us as humans to deal with psychological conditions because it's just a way to make ourselfs feel better when something is bothering us.
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ReplyDeleteKyoko
ReplyDeleteI know that I have used the ego defense mechanism in number of situations. I've used compensation when I was being stubborn. But in many situations that are often bad or painful, I use repression, rationalization and/or denial of events.
I don't even want to imagine what life would be like if I didn't or unable to use the ego defense mechanism.
Davey
ReplyDeleteThis happens all the time with many people including myself. I am the type of person who is very honest but when it comes down to being sick or hurt I always deny it. When I am sick I will do anything I can in my power to persuade my parents that I am not sick. They will tell me to stay at home but I’m not that type of person. I will get right out of my house and do my normal day routine. When I am hurt for instance in one of my baseball playoff games last year for Lincoln High, I was pitching and I got hit with a ball that went right back at me. It hit my pitching forearm and the ball rolled in front of me. I went to flip it to get the batter out but couldn’t. I called for help for a few seconds not realizing how much pain I was in. they came to me and asked me if I was ok and I said yes I just needed a little bit of stalling time to keep pitching after the loss of the game we were out of the playoffs and later that week I couldn’t even squeeze my right arm hard at all. The pain was great but I ignored it telling myself that there was no pain. Thank Dog the season ended.
One of my good friends is in deffinate denial about having anger problems. His panrets and friends tell him all the time and he constantly gets into fights with his brothers. He denies it everytime someone talks to him about it. Im pretty sure he doesnt go anywhere for it or do anything about it. All he does now is act more quieter and try and let things slip by him. He acts like a totally different person just so he doesnt have to hear people tell him he has an anger problem. He's deffinately hiding from the truth and in extreme denial.
ReplyDeleteI think that ego defense mechanisms are real and are used in everyday life by most people because it is easier to not think about your problem or divert your attention. But for my story , I will tell one about myself. I was about ten years old and it was the end of February. We had a lake house and it was a really nice day that we went up to clean the docks and our neighbor had already put his boat in the water so i decided to go water skiing and the water was absolutely freezing but i still went and didnt wear a wet suit and my mom and dad warned me i was going to get sick or frost bite. I still went and after I came out of the water I was freezing and my feet were blue but I said i was fine and went to school the next day shaking still because i still hadnt thawed out and at the end of the day we found out I had a 105 temp and had to go to the hospital... yes just my luck. But i deffinately do this all the time and so do other people like koyoko said I dont know what i would do if i didnt have the mechanisms to survive.
ReplyDeleteI myself use an ego defense that i inherited from my father. Whenever something is hurting me physically or emotionally, someone could call me out about it, but i'll always deny it. Ill say im fine when i know im really not, and the person knows it as well. I do it all the time, and it keeps me from talking about any problems i may have.
ReplyDeleteOne girl I used to be very good friends with was in denial for a very long time. Ever since her freshman year in high school she has been dating the same boy. She was head over heels in love with him. Just recently, after dating for 3 years, he broke up with her. She did not take that well. She couldn’t accept that fact that he didn’t want to be with her anymore. She still tried to call him every night, and wait for him outside his classes. This girl was in denial. She couldn’t get the idea through her head that they were over. I think these ego defense mechanisms are very real. Things such as denial and rationalism happen every day. Its people’s way of copping with their problems. It easier to blame things on someone else, come up with an excuse, or even pretend if never happened, instead of dealing with the truth.
ReplyDeleteTJ
ReplyDeleteThere was this guy bob who was in denial. He thought that he was right all the time. When one time he and a few friends went out they each had made a bet. Now Bob of course knew he was going to win, but did he? No. In fact, he was the furthest from what the bet was. So Bob, the way he was tried to play it off like he hadnt taken part in the bet at all to avoid paying the money to his friends. This is an act of an ego defense mechanism in that Bob was in denial about the bet.
I believe i have the same issue as Zeddy i have a horrible habbit telling my parents i dont have homework the day of but it always comes back to bite me in the back as it is doing now, like i am doing this blog so last minute.
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