Problem 2 - An Introduction to Theories of Personality

Question

Give a real-life example of a person who becomes angry toward someone who is weak because this weakness is a threatening reminder of what the person most dislikes about himself or herself.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

In an office scenario, a boss, who is insecure about his own leadership skills, becomes overly critical and angry towards a timid employee as the employee's indecisiveness and shyness remind the boss of his own shortcomings. In this case, the boss is projecting his own fears onto the employee, finding it easier to blame someone else than to accept and work on his own flaws.

Step 1: Understand Projection

Before trying to come up with an example, it's vital to understand projection. This mechanism is when a person subconsciously denies his or her own flaws, insecurities or issues and attributes them onto someone else. In this way, they 'project' their negative qualities onto others, often becoming critical of these attributed features.

Step 2: Identify a situation illustrating this concept

In a workplace scenario, consider a boss who is unable to effectively lead and delegate, instead often lost in confusion and indecisiveness. One of his employees is known for being timid and indecisive, not because of incompetence, but rather due to an inherent shy nature. The boss becomes overly critical and frustrated with this employee and often lashes out at him over minor incidents.

Step 3: Analyze the situation

Here, the boss's anger towards the timid employee may reflect his own fears about his leadership skills. He projects his own indecisiveness and confusion onto the employee, instead of accepting and working on his leadership abilities. As a result, the employee's behavior, which mirrors his own weakness, becomes a constant, infuriating reminder of his personal shortcomings. He masks his problems by blaming the employee, thereby utilizing projection as a defense mechanism.