On the Brink of Insanity

 

                                                 (image: youtube.com)

Tagpasa an kalabad.

When one does not understand what is going on inside, chances are, the individual projects the negative feelings to others.

The phenomenon is called projection, a psychological defense mechanism. When individuals experience feelings or thoughts they can't fully understand or accept, they may project those feelings onto others. This can manifest as blaming others for their own negative emotions or misinterpreting others' actions as threatening or negative.

Sigmund Freud first introduced the concept of projection as a defense mechanism in his psychoanalytic theory. He suggested that individuals might project their own undesirable feelings or thoughts onto others as a way to cope with anxiety.

This behavior often arises when someone is grappling with internal conflict, insecurity, or unresolved issues. Instead of confronting these feelings directly, they externalize them, attributing their own discomfort to the people around them. This can lead to misunderstandings, strained relationships, and a cycle of negativity that can be difficult to break.

Otto Kernberg (1975) explored how projection functions in personality disorders, particularly in borderline and narcissistic individuals. His work emphasized how these individuals might project their internal conflicts onto others, leading to unstable relationships.

These situations were ignored before but with the current attention to mental health, people are now looking into the reasons of skewed behaviors.

The destigmatization of mental health issues has encouraged individuals to explore the psychological roots of their behaviors. As awareness grows, more people are recognizing that behaviors like projection can stem from unresolved emotional conflicts (Corrigan et al., 2012).

Increasing emotional intelligence can be beneficial. Learning to identify and label emotions accurately allows individuals to understand their feelings better and reduce the tendency to project them onto others.

Otherwise, worsening conditions can arise, leading to a state of turmoil or insanity.