Defense Motivation

Defense motivation is the way we protect ourselves from psychological threats, anxiety, or uncomfortable situations, like perceiving a threat to their self-esteem, identity, or wellbeing. While defense mechanisms are specific psychological strategies (like denial or projection), defense motivation is the underlying drive or reason for using those strategies. Also see Growth Motivation (focus on personal development, learning, and expanded capabilities). Defense motivations might be to:

Avoid conflict by using displacement to avoid directing anger to someone perceived as a threat.

Reduce anxiety or fear by using denial to avoid confronting a difficult or frightening truth.

Maintain self-esteem by using projection to avoid feeling inadequate by attributing their perceived flaws to others.

Cope with trauma by (unconsciously) using repression to be protected from the overwhelming pain.