Reaction Formation as Ego-defense Mechanism
2. Reaction formation is the development of conscious attitudes and behaviors that are in direct opposition to disturbing desires. By adopting opposing dimensions, individuals can evade the anxiety that would arise from recognizing those aspects of themselves. For example, someone may conceal hatred with a façade of love or mask cruelty with excessive kindness. This mechanism involves self-deception. Example 1: An individual who has repressed homosexual desires expresses strong and vocal homophobia, going out of their way to condemn and criticize homosexuality in an attempt to suppress their own true feelings.
Example 2: A person who feels a strong attraction towards someone in a committed relationship treats that person with contempt and hostility, denying their own romantic feelings through outward animosity.
For further exploration of reaction formation and its implications, you may find Sigmund Freud's book "The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense" insightful. It provi…