3 Mysterious “Defense Mechanisms” And How to Use Them For Your Advantage

Marium Rizvi
4 min readOct 6, 2021

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Are you familiar with defense mechanisms? Many people use them virtually daily, but few are aware of them. “Defense mechanism” is a term used by Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychoanalysis.

The ego is the primary aspect of our personalities that handles reality and maintains equilibrium between the id and superego, according to Freud’s theory of personality.

While doing its main job, the ego also copes with the conflict and stress between the id and the Superego with the help of defense mechanisms. The ego is called the “smartest” of all three.

  • “Id” is the part of the personality that just wants to fulfill all needs, wants, and impulses. It does not think about moral principles or appropriateness.
  • “Superego” is the part of our personality that tries to act in a moral and idealistic manner. It is made up of internalized values and morals we acquire from friends, family, religion, society, and other influences.

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Marium Rizvi
Marium Rizvi

Written by Marium Rizvi

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