Some people would have different defense mechanisms whenever they are encountering something that they are not used to. Some defense mechanisms are considered to be intellectual because they are adaptive. This means that through the defense mechanisms, people can adapt to what they are going through.
There are also defense mechanisms that are considered to be maladaptive. This means that it will only lengthen the agony that people are feeling, and they will not be able to move on from the situation at all. Projection and acting out are examples of maladaptive defense mechanisms. Reaction formation and intellectualization are considered to be adaptive defense mechanisms.
One example is rationalization. We often rationalize decisions that we know, deep down, are wrong. Students may say: Oh, its okay to cheat on a paper. After all, it doesnt really hurt anyone. That argument is an attempt to make a false idea sound rational; thus, rationalization.
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