Projection

What is Projection?

Projection is a defense mechanism. It’s a way of dealing with the discomfort that may arise with insecurities or difficult emotions. Insecurities are parts of yourself that you don’t like or feel embarrassed about. Insecurities can range widely from things like your face to the way you talk.

Here is a diagram to show how projection works

This doesn't mean every negative thing you say about someone is a projection. But it's important to reflect on whether our comments come from something about ourselves.

Scenario

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below:

Justine questions everything that Maria does in a group project. Maria is a talented pupil. Justine blames Maria for the work taking too long and how they don’t have enough time left. When Maria drops something or forgets to bring an item Justine is quick to shout at her and accuses her of being disrespectful.

Justine notices that Maria is becoming more upset about the behaviour. Someone asks Justine about this but she then says ‘ Maria is really bossy and rude to me’.

Question goes here

Comment goes here

Reflect on what effect this will have on Maria.

Maria loses her confidence as she starts to believe Justine could be right. Justine has distorted her reality. Maria starts to feel scared to work on the group project in case she makes a mistake.

Dealing with the situation

If Maria trusts Justine she can tell her how she is feeling to give her a chance of changing.

Maria should talk to her family, close friends and teacher about what is going on to remind herself that she isn’t the person Justine is projecting her to be.

If she is feeling too uncomfortable she can ask to switch partners- you don’t deserve to have to stick through unhealthy dynamics.

There are several ways that Justine can approach this situation differently and in a better way:

Positive self-talk
Deep breathing for when the strong emotions arise
Mindfulness
Seeking support from a trusted adult about her stress
Not projecting her insecurities but being open and honest about her worries with Maria

The Future

Projection is everywhere. There are many adults that haven’t learnt to deal with their insecurities properly. Because of this, many have to deal with being spoken to in condescending tones or out of proportion reactions.

This is why it is important to be aware of the signs of projection. The main way to prevent it affecting you is to have a strong idea of who you are, your strengths and your weaknesses. That way you will know when someone is genuinely criticising you and not just projecting how they feel about themselves.