Dear Diary,
Reading a passage about the concept of projection has made it clear to me that I might need to work on this very thing… and yet, I keep forgetting it. The passage I read suggests something like this: in some remote past we might have done something we then viewd as “bad”, and then we felt guilty. Instead of addressing this guilt, we suppress it, pushing it deep into a subconscious corner. Then, we project it outward. This results in strong reactions like anger, disdain, and even fury on our part. In a way, it might be easier for us to experience these emotions than to directly confront the guilt and the intense anxiety (or even terror) that accompanies it.
Now, when I think about what triggers me in the world, one thing comes to mind: narcissism. I see people constantly trying to grab the attention and admiration of others. It’s as if they are confusing this with genuine love. Perhaps they never truly felt loved and are now attempting to fill that void in ways that don’t truly satisfy their deep needs.
And here’s the kicker: as confident as I feel in making these observations, if I’m honest with myself and take the principle of projection into account, I might need to admit that I might very well be talking about me!
