PsychologyFilter: Is this called projection?

May 18, 2009 10:34 AM

What's the correct term for this psychological trait...projection?

I always thought projection was when someone, unconsciously, ascribed one of their own undesirable traits unto someone else who doesn't possess that trait. But what is it called when that other person actually has that undesirable trait, too?

For example:

The person who's always late who gets pissed off when others are late.

The person who is messy/sloppy/a slob who does not tolerate messiness from others.

The person who is a poor listener who complains that no one listens to them.

Is this projection, too, or does it represent a personality disorder and not a defense mechanism?

posted by teg4rvn to human relations (7 comments total)

Hypocrisy.
posted by milarepa at 10:36 AM on May 18 [5 favorites]

Yes, this definitely sounds like the basic concept of hypocrisy. The Wikipedia article on hypocrisy claims that it is considered to be psychological projection.
posted by burnmp3s at 10:40 AM on May 18

Well, there is no personality disorder with only one symptom, so I wouldn't even start down that road. As far as Freudian defense mechanisms, projection is probably the closest--not acknowledging it in the self, but attributing it to others.
posted by so_gracefully at 10:46 AM on May 18

I agree with hypocrisy. Even if the person's not aware they do this, there's probably some self-hatred going on, too.
posted by peep at 10:57 AM on May 18

I disagree about hypocrisy - it's a conscious decision, for example publicly condemning something you do in private. I think there is no specific term for what OP described.
posted by rainy at 11:16 AM on May 18 [1 favorite]

The wikipedia entry burnmp3s posted above suggests that "psychological hypocrisy" is a term suited for when the individual is not self-aware.
posted by teg4rvn at 11:29 AM on May 18

Might it fit under "turning passive into active?" This is a defense mechanism in which people do to others the thing that was done to them - like victims of abuse turning into abusers. In your examples, it would apply to the emotional part of the interactions - e.g., getting mad at someone for something that others got mad at him about. This is sometimes also known as identification with the aggressor.
posted by jasper411 at 12:53 PM on May 18