Reddit mentions of Why Do I Do That?: Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives

Oh source would help eh? It's a snippet that irked me from this book https://www.amazon.com/Why-Do-That-Psychological-Mechanisms-ebook/dp/B009PA63YI

I have only recently come to the same realization about myself, so my perspective may be of limited use, but I think you may benefit from a book I’ve started reading - Why Do I Do That?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PA63YI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I have really struggled to gain anything of value from most popular self-help books because of their almost sole reliance on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which takes a very shallow approach to anger and other emotional problems. It doesn’t look at the root cause and fails to address the role of the subconscious.

What we are both engaging in is a very powerful defense mechanism. Defense mechanisms are unfortunately Freud’s bread and butter, not CBT’s. I need to figure out why I started doing this in order to stop, why it feels unsafe or unacceptable to be angry at other people while I am fair game for my wrath. No amount of meditation, gratitude journaling, or positive affirmations is going to to fix a defense mechanism that was so entrenched that it was invisible to me for most of my life. I suspect that this may also be true for you.

It’s cheap and Amazon provides a sample, so give it a spin. So far, the book has steered clear of Freud’s more outlandish and flashy theories to focus on the ones that survived the test of time - defense mechanisms.

I had something similar happen when my mother died... I just started reading this book:

Why Do I Do That?: Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009PA63YI/)

So far I've gotten some interesting insight into why I might be bored ambivalent about such a thing. You might take a look too.

This isn't fiction, but I really enjoyed Party of One: A loners manifesto

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1569245134/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this book on psychological defense mechanisms I read recently and found deeply facinating and helpful. Not all of it applied to me, but I found bits of it really insisive at helping me understand how I process things.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Do-That-Psychological-Mechanisms-ebook/dp/B009PA63YI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496506185&sr=1-3&keywords=why+do+i+do+that

And lots of people recommend Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking-ebook/dp/B0074YVW1G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496505896&sr=8-1&keywords=introvert

Which I haven't read, but think I would really like. I get frustrated too at the lack of representation in fiction.

Is there anything you've read on this topic you would recommend?

Any number of ways. Maybe you sit down like the Buddha did before his awakening and sort out skillful from non-skillful actions.

Maybe you study emptiness teachings and learn to see the emptiness/constructedness of all phenomena.

Maybe you study philosophy and psychoanalysis, sociology for their insights into life.

People may try to give you a formula. Any formula will have its limitations.