[pachyderm]

I like this article about mechanisms to avoid mental pain:

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/gentle...to-avoid-pain/

Nice preamble/preview...now all I need is $$ for the book and some luck that this isn't something said many times before with just a slightly different angle.

Seriously though and my natural cynicism aside, [me bad, sorry] he says some interesting things. I'm sure all the authors who seemingly pump these books out are all beneficial to some extent. It's really up to the buyer to decipher glean and put into use the methods/observations etc.

Some folks have libraries of these type of books. One would think after reading a few dozen and adapting what they've learned, there would be more sages sitting on tops of mountains then there are.

I'm jesting pachyderm...no disrespect...just a little cynical. I will agree that there are bits and pieces of things that we might find beneficial in perhaps any/all of these books. Does it require we get 'em all? Is THIS the one that might turn the tide? I don't have the dough or patience anymore.

Hence the sardonic grumbly glance.

Apologies Pachy...bad day...It IS an interesting way to observe....but I do stand hand in hand with my frustration concerning the varied neverending publications on the solving of self. Too much a market scheme it seems to me these days. Peace love etc. Pachy...that's truth from me ok?

[Contrast]

I knew narcissism was only to defend myself.

But yes, I totally agree it's nothing but a defense mechanism.
Narcissism works by their ego to go over someone else to feel reassured and "in place" of their own intentions.

But a classic narc trait is exhibitionism (not whipping out your **** in public)
This trait refers to a person's need to be the center of attention, and willingness to ensure they are the center of attention (even at the expense of others' needs).

How is needing to be the center of attention a defense mechanism?
There are different ways to look at this and my way is that self-desire isn't a defense mechanism but the primal sense of superiority is.

[Wren_]

i've been following his blog site for awhile and there's a lot of helpful material there; from what i've read the book includes some of the blog material along with other things and does cover areas I haven't read about before as far as they relate to defense mechanisms (of which I have many ). One of his blog articles led to some great breakthroughs with my T and kept me with T so it's definitely a book I'm looking forward to buying and reading. Thanks for the article link about it

Do people find it helpful?

They don’t necessarily like it, I mean — who wants to be introduced to the pain they’re trying to avoid?

true!

Great article Pachyderm, thank you!

"Are they always pathological?
No. I give lots of examples in the book where defense mechanisms are normal and necessary."

I like this, I think that the ones that start to become damaging are unhealthy, the rest are just a part of our psyche and ways to cope with the world. Seems like a great book to help look more closely at our defense mechanisms.