Is it harmful to examine your defense mechanisms?

Well, in the first place, is protecting oneself from the insecurities in the subconscious necessarily a good thing?

Anyway, self-esteem is built upon by many factors, and weaknesses are just part and parcel of those aspects which one may or may not allow to dampen self-esteem. In short, a person can reconcile with the weaknesses he/she has and yet has a reasonable level of self-esteem. After all, nobody is perfect.

Also, while you examine your defense mechanisms and try to work around them to improve yourself, there would still be no ends in the numerous situations where you would unwittingly revert, or develop new defense mechanisms. Therefore, if you set your mind to work on your defense mechanisms, there would be no end anyway.

Eventually, one has to accept oneself and build on his/her strengths and work on the weaknesses, while being proud that he/she is able to work proactively in improving the self - That would certainly build a confident individual with good self-esteem.

Absolutely not.

To quote Sun Tzu:

A general who knows only himself or only his opponent may win a battle but will never win a war; only the general who knows both himself and his opponent will ultimately triumph.

The trick with any self-improvement is to understand the mechanism of feedback and use it as an opportunity to improve how you do things. Feeback into the unconscious doesn't just come from outside, it can also come from the conscious mind - so if you're going to start tampering with your defense mechanisms, make sure that you are capable of dealing with the fall-out and working the whole process through to its logical conclusion.

By analyzing the defense mechanisms you are using, you gain a better insight into not only your psychological processing, but also gain insight in coping strategies that you are subconsiously using. Taking the opportunity to go address those coping skills and possibly replacing them with healthy, proactive ways to address the same problems you give yourself the chance to being more cognitively aware of psychological discomfort, and have ways of dealing with stresses caused by them.

no because once you discover the ways you are trying to hide your weaknesses then you can find healthier ways to deal with your problems. Some people use terrible defense mechanisms such as addictive hobbies to mask their pain. It means that you are ready to deal with your problems rather than living in denial.

Excuse me, most people who use defense mechanisms, do so because they have not learned a more mature way to deal with problems. Self-awareness is part of growth. Who says all insecurities are subconscious?

Dude, we have counselors, support groups, libraries and rehabs. If one commits a misdemeanor, it involves counselling!

Self-esteem? We're descended from Puritans! Everything's evil and no one is allowed to have self-esteem. Actually, some women in my family had that, they were thought to be witches. Even worse, they spoke multiple languages, dealt in real estate, had peacock feathers on their riding habits and spoke openly with Indians!!!!

Worse yet, THEY COULD READ ENGLISH BOOKS!

Women in my family never cared much for standards, why should I?

I wish I were more like the women in my family.

It good to examine them.

I examine mine in the shower every night in case there could be a lump.

nope.

sometimes we get 1 shot at it and make it count.

we can asked.....painful??? huh....lolol

no