introject
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb:
- To unconsciously incorporate attitudes, ideas, or behavioral patterns from another person (especially a parental figure) into one's own personality or psyche.
- In psychoanalytic theory, it refers to the internalization of external objects or qualities, often as a primitive defense mechanism.
Noun:
- An idea, attitude, or behavioral pattern that has been unconsciously incorporated into one's personality from an external source, especially during childhood.
Usage Examples
Verb:
- Children often introject the beliefs and values of their parents without realizing it.
- As part of her therapy, she explored the critical voice she had introjected from her childhood.
Noun:
- That feeling of not being good enough is not your own; it is an introject from your early environment.
- The therapist helped him identify which parts of his self-criticism were introjects and which were his own rational concerns.
Advanced Usage
Psychoanalytic Context: The term is primarily used in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy to describe an unconscious process of internalization that is distinct from more conscious identification or learning.
- The concept of the superego is built from introjected parental commands and societal norms.
As a Defense Mechanism: Introjection is considered a primitive defense mechanism where the boundary between self and other is blurred.
- In grief, one might introject qualities of the lost loved one.
Variants and Related Words
Introjection (n): The unconscious psychological process itself.
- Introjection is a key concept in understanding how personality develops.
Introjective (adj): Relating to or characterized by introjection.
- He struggled with introjective guilt, feeling responsible for things beyond his control.
Synonyms
- Internalize (v): To make attitudes or beliefs part of one's way of thinking. (Note: "internalize" can be more conscious than "introject").
- Incorporate (v): To take in or contain something as part of a whole.
Related Phrases
Introject a belief: To unconsciously adopt a belief from an external source.
- It's common to introject a belief that we must always please others.
Parental introject: A specific term for values or critical voices taken in from parents.
- Her fear of failure was tied to a harsh parental introject.
Noun
- (psychoanalysis) parental figures (and their values) that you introjected as a child; the voice of conscience is usually a parent's voice internalized
Verb
- incorporate (attitudes or ideas) into one's personality unconsciously