Reaction formation, like all defense mechanisms, is an unconscious process. People with conscious but secret desires they publicly denounce in others are not resorting to reaction formation; they are hypocrites.
Category: Social Behavior
Holiday Advice from the Pathological Optimist
Some thoughts about having realistic expectations for and placing limits upon holiday togetherness with your family.
The Hatred of Authority
While rebellion against established authority often leads to progress and positive change, legitimate authority exerted with concern has its value. Some people can’t tolerate the expression of authority in any form, however, and live in constant rebellion against it.
The Difference Between Shame and Guilt
While people generally use the words ‘guilt’ and ‘shame’ interchangeably, they actually refer to different experiences. Shame concerns painful feelings about oneself; guilt relates to the hurt or harm one may have caused somebody else and depends upon the ability to empathize. Guilt and shame often occur together.
60 Minutes and Greg Mortenson’s Fraud: The Power of Sentimentality
Greg Mortenson’s fraud upon the American public, recently exposed by Steve Kroft on ’60 Minutes’, catered to our weakness for a sentimental view of the world, with an all-white hero whose saintly deeds evoked a misty-eyed response that made us reach for our checkbooks.