Projecting your mental issues onto others

North Salt Lake, Utah
October 10, 2015 9:06pm CST
Have you ever been having an argument with someone and realized they are actually projecting their inner thoughts and insecurities onto you. Once you start paying attention, it becomes so obvious. Where does the habit of projecting yourself originate? Low self confidence? Insecurities. These people seem to enter into an argument subconsciously angry at themself. It's as if their subconscious self-hate manifest itself into an outward attack in which they have to accuse the other person of what they themselves are unhappy about in themselves....if that makes sense. So someone may know in the back of their mind that they aren't a good listener. They'll watch people around them react to them not being a good listener. They'll start to notice the negative impact of not listening to others. So rather than taking the steps to change that behavior, it's internalized, internalized to the point that the person can no longer accept that are in fact not a good listener. In an argument this person, we'll say person 1, experiences adrenaline which magnifies the actions of others. So when that person 1 feels the slightest bit not listened to in an argument, the other person, person 2, immediately will be accused of "never" listening, or being a bad listener. Person 2 may in fact be a great listener, but that does not matter. Person 1 is angry at their self for their own behavior. Rather than confronting what person 1 doesn't like about their self, person 1 projects this onto person 2. Has anyone else witnessed this kind of projecting? How can someone talk to the person who is projecting to make them realize what they are doing?
2 people like this
2 responses
• United States
11 Oct 15
i'll admit this 'twas a bit confusin' 'n i had to read such several times to soak it all in. that bein' said, i'm married to a person such's ya describe 'n i fear there's no tellin' 'em such. they've no desire to accept such 'n 're prone to always placin' blame 'n takin' it out on whome'er they can get by with such antics. my thoughts? they've no copin' skills...
1 person likes this
@owstalaga (4707)
• Philippines
11 Oct 15
Well it's a good thing I don't know anyone like that anymore. Usually the people who are like that are manipulators. Too bad I know someone who is in a relationship with someone like that. Ah poor guy. It also sucks if that person is family.