Which term denotes the defense pattern that involves avoiding authentic feelings by clinging to familiar beliefs and standards?

• A. Phony Layer
• B. Phobic Layer
• C. Deflection
• D. Introjection

Answer: (D)

Introjection is a defense pattern where a person internalizes the beliefs and standards of others and treats them as their own. By adopting familiar external rules, a person can avoid authentic feelings and discomfort, since the coveted safety comes from those already-established standards rather than from their own evolving sense of self. This mechanism helps reduce anxiety in the moment, but it can limit genuine self-expression because decisions and values are borrowed rather than personally chosen. Deflection, in contrast, would involve shifting attention away from the feeling rather than internalizing others’ beliefs, so it doesn’t fit the description. The other terms aren’t standard labels for this pattern and don’t capture the process of absorbing external beliefs to avoid authentic emotion.