Displacement

Another ego defense mechanism often referred to in psychoanalysis, is that of displacement.  Displacement refers to the transference of affect from one context or object to another situation or object.  In regards to how it shows up in daily life, displacement is commonly seen in the taking out of unexpressed feelings of anger or aggression out on someone outside of the situation that is causing the anger or frustration.  The classic example being that of the individual who comes home from work at a job they hate and are treated poorly, only to take their frustration and anger out on their partner or children.  The individual is expressing the rage or anger they feel about their workplace situation, and transferring those feelings into their home environment.  

This process is an unconscious defense used to preserve one’s status in the former situation or relationship.  Rather than risk one’s position at work, the individual blows up at home, in a space that feels safe to contain the toxic and explosive emotions held within.  One may also see this in a person's cold demeanor and putting up walls in their relationships, when they are feeling shut out of a significant relationship.  Or the person may react to the same relationship by desperately clinging to other relationships.  All of these are examples of how one expresses that which can not be expressed in the former situation or relationship, for fear of losing or threatening the stability of said situation or relationship.  An individual may also displace their feelings out of sheer unawareness of this effect being buried within.  

This defense, like the others, is an attempt to preserve or protect the ego or self in some way.  Though the defense often has a negative bearing or potentially catastrophic and destructive tendencies on the situation or relationship that is being displaced upon. T Displacement is similar to projection, and is an aspect of it in the form of attributional displacement, or the transferring of unwanted or undesired traits or characteristics of one’s own personality onto that of the other.  Freud noticed the tendency of a person to move undesired contents of their dreams onto other areas of the dream, or in external life.  Undesired effect though, like energy, cannot be created or destroyed– it has to move or be transferred somewhere.  You probably see this defense mechanism employed throughout your life and in your day-to-day life.  But it is just one of the many ego defenses discussed in the world of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.  For more discussions on various terms in the world of mental health and psychotherapy, check out my other blogs defining different concepts in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy.