The Development of Defense Mechanisms

Exploring the concept of self-deception, the text delves into historical perspectives from figures like Demosthenes and Rousseau, who recognized the mind's capacity to mislead itself. Sigmund Freud significantly advanced this idea within psychology, linking self-deception to defense mechanisms that protect the psyche from distress. His work laid the groundwork for understanding both conscious and unconscious mental processes, ultimately leading to the identification of over 37 distinct defense mechanisms in contemporary psychological literature.