Ep. 31: Defense Mechanisms

In one sense, what we commonly refer to as “ego” is simply a collection of defense mechanisms — the habits of seeing, interpreting, and behaving in the world that help us to preserve a feeling of security and well-being. These can be as simple as needing to be “right” or as complex as highly structured fantasies we maintain about the world we live in. We are usually unaware of our defense mechanisms, and if they remain unrecognized they can prolong unnecessary suffering. 
 

In this episode, prompted by a listener request, we talk about different kinds of defense mechanisms, what we use them to defend against, and how tools such as the Enneagram can help us uncover our unique defensive patterning so that we can begin to dissolve it.