<p>A person, who tries to hide something from himself due to him not being able to cope with that thing, will try to deny it. This is what is called defensive denial. For example, if I say to myself I only smoke to show a girl I like how cool I am, it's actually me trying to cope up with the fact that I have smoking addiction which has nothing to do with any girl. This is one of the methods of defense our brain uses to deal with anxiety and things we don't want to know about ourselves. My question is, how do I know the difference between me denying that thing due to me not being able to cope with the truth and me simply telling the truth. For example, if I say to myself, I don't want to become a dancer, how do I know if this is a form of defensive denial and I actually want to become a dancer but I'm hiding it due to some deeper reason, and  me actually not wanting to become a dancer?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-28T16:16:23.143Z
What have you read regarding the subject of *defensive denial*? (What books, websites....?). Whilst [I am a defender of Freudian and Neo-Freudian psychology](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2248), please also be aware that this covers areas of psychology [considered by some here to be pseudoscientific](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2242)
Chris Rogers
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-28T16:22:52.760Z
I read about it in a book called "How Psychology Works". I have no psychology training, I have only read small parts of a few psychology books. I believe my question is not very complicated and anyone having some knowledge in psychology should know how to answer.
JingleBells
<psychoanalysis>
How do I make the difference between defensive denial and it being true?
JingleBells
# How do I make the difference between defensive denial and it being true?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-28)

A person, who tries to hide something from himself due to him not being able to cope with that thing, will try to deny it. This is what is called defensive denial. For example, if I say to myself I only smoke to show a girl I like how cool I am, it's actually me trying to cope up with the fact that I have smoking addiction which has nothing to do with any girl. This is one of the methods of defense our brain uses to deal with anxiety and things we don't want to know about ourselves. My question is, how do I know the difference between me denying that thing due to me not being able to cope with the truth and me simply telling the truth. For example, if I say to myself, I don't want to become a dancer, how do I know if this is a form of defensive denial and I actually want to become a dancer but I'm hiding it due to some deeper reason, and me actually not wanting to become a dancer?

**Tags:** psychoanalysis

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What have you read regarding the subject of *defensive denial*? (What books, websites....?). Whilst [I am a defender of Freudian and Neo-Freudian psychology](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/a/2248), please also be aware that this covers areas of psychology [considered by some here to be pseudoscientific](https://psychology.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2242)  
> **username_0**: I read about it in a book called "How Psychology Works". I have no psychology training, I have only read small parts of a few psychology books. I believe my question is not very complicated and anyone having some knowledge in psychology should know how to answer.  

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## 0 answers

