We all hurt at some time, in some way. Having a better understanding of the nature of pain and how we may respond to that pain allows us to better manage our behavior. Many of us react to pain unconsciously. Reacting unconsciously can cause us problems. Many of the ways we respond to pain are governed by our ego defenses. One of the key components of ego defense mechanisms is that they work on an unconscious level.

I first became interested in ego defense mechanisms when I was trying to understand the behavior of law enforcement officers who were undergoing training for high risk roles. I could not understand why some officers would react in what appeared to be totally illogical ways. Asking them was no help. They could not explain it either and were just as interested in knowing where potentially destructive behavior was coming from.

I wrote the book ‘Understanding Ego Defense Mechanisms - A Guide for Educators’ to help us all understand the nature of pain and how our ego defense mechanisms respond in an unconscious way. It will be of use to those involved in adult learning and will be of interest to most people who want to understand why our behavior or the behavior of others sometimes appears inexplicable.

Ego defense mechanisms are the stories we tell our selves that allow us to sleep at night.