Ego defense mechnism part 6: reaction formation

Reaction formation can be defined as the superficial adoption—and, often, exaggeration—of ideas and impulses that are diametrically opposed to one’s own.
A man unconsciously finds himself attracted to another man/woman , but consciously finds this attraction flatly unacceptable.
To manage the anxiety arising from this conflict, he over-acts the part of the straight or macho man(Very typical of our Hindi Cinema),
Going out for beer party with others
Speaking in a gruff voice,
Peppering his speech with loud profanities(Socially Offensive language),
Banging his fists on the counter,
Flirting conspicuously with others and so on. 

1. Compiled by Col Mukteshwar Prasad( Retd ), Mtech (IITD),CE(I),FIE(I), FIETE,FISLE,FInstOD,AMCSI Contact -9007224278, e-mail –[email protected] for book ”Decoding Services Selection Board” and SSB guidance and training at Shivnandani Edu and Defence Academy Ego Defense Mechnism / Self-Deception Part 6: Reaction Formation

2. Reaction Formation Reaction formation  can be defined as the superficial adoption—and, often, exaggeration—of ideas and impulses that are diametrically opposed to one’s own. A man unconsciously finds himself attracted to another man/woman , but consciously finds this attraction flatly unacceptable. To manage the anxiety arising from this conflict, he over-acts the part of the straight or macho man(Very typical of our Hindi Cinema), Going out for beer party with others Speaking in a gruff voice, Peppering his speech with loud profanities(Socially Offensive language), Banging his fists on the counter, Flirting conspicuously with others and so on. 

3. Examples of Reaction Formation Other examples of reaction formation include The teenage boy who bullies the girl or boy he’s attracted to, T he immigrant who becomes more native than the natives ( Naya Mulla saat bar Namaz parhta hai ), The rich student who attends and even organizes anti-capitalist rallies, The alcoholic who extolls the virtues of abstinence, and The politician or religious leader who advocates or legislates against his secret vice—although, depending on the level of consciousness, this could be a case of hypocrisy rather than reaction formation .

4. Passive aggression an example of Reaction Formation Passive-aggressive behaviour is a means of expressing aggression covertly, without incurring the psychological and social costs of more overt aggression. It prevents the underlying issues from being identified and addressed, and Can lead to a great deal of upset and resentment in the person or people on its receiving end.

5. Example of Reaction Formation A special case of reaction formation is that of two people who matter deeply to each other, but fall into a pattern of arguing or disengaging to dampen their mutual desire and dependency. B might accept that A is very important to her, but A does not accept this of B. A starts arguing to push back his feelings for B, while B argues back to cope with A’s stand-offish behaviour until B gets fed up and leaves, that is, To protect one’s ego, Vent one’s frustration, and Temper one’s feelings for A. Another special case is that of the person who hates a particular group of people but loves those members of the group with whom he is personally acquainted. This helps to explain such phenomena as the misogynist who is devoted to his wife or the racist who marries a coloured person.

6. Generalization Ego defence of  generalization , which involves thinking of a hated person as part of a group and then hating the group instead of the person . For example, a woman who is furious at her husband’s infidelity directs her anger, not at him personally, but at the male sex in general. Similarly, a man who has been neglected and abused by his mother is still able to love her, but only at the cost of having developed into an inveterate(Unable to change) misogynist .

7. Undoing An ego defence that is close to reaction formation is  undoing , which involves thinking a thought or carrying out an act in an attempt to negate a previous, uncomfortable thought or act. Examples of undoing are the absent father who periodically returns to spoil and smother his children, and T he angry wife who throws a plate at her husband and then tries to ‘make it up’ by smothering him in kisses. The absent father and angry wife are not merely trying to make amends for their behaviour , but also to ‘erase it from the record’. Another example of undoing is the man who harms a friend’s prospects and then, a few days later, turns up at the door bearing a small gift. Rituals such as confession and penitence are, at least on some level, socially condoned and codified forms of undoing .

8. Undoing and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) Undoing is also an important feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. An obsessional thought is a recurrent idea, image, or impulse that is perceived as being senseless, that is unsuccessfully resisted, and that results in marked anxiety and distress. Common obsessional themes include Doubt, Contamination, Orderliness or symmetry, Safety, Physical symptoms, Aggression , and Sex. According to the thought avoidance paradox, the more you try to fight back a thought, the stronger it becomes. To reduce the anxiety and distress induced by an obsessional thought, a person may employ one or more compensatory acts which soon become compulsive in nature .

9. Undoing and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) For example, a person with recurrent thoughts of being contaminated with germs may develop a compulsive urge to scrub and scour her hands, so overpowering that her hands begin to bleed.  On another level, a cleansing act may also represent an attempt to be rid of troubling thoughts and emotions, as with the murderous Lady Macbeth:  Out, damned spot! out, I say! … Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh !