Intellectualisation (Noun)
Meaning
(psychiatry) a defense mechanism that uses reasoning to block out emotional stress and conflict.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- In an attempt to cope with the devastating news of her mother's sudden passing, Sarah resorted to intellectualisation, focusing on the medical facts and statistical probabilities surrounding her mother's death to avoid feeling the overwhelming grief.
- When confronted with the reality of his own infidelity, John's mind turned to philosophical musings on the human condition, love, and relationships, employing intellectualisation as a defense mechanism to avoid the emotional fallout of his actions.
- Intellectualisation was the primary defense mechanism that Lucy employed to deflect the anxiety and unease she felt about her high-stakes job interview, instead meticulously researching the company's history and the industry trends to appear confident and composed.
- Alex exhibited intellectualisation when asked about his troubled past, launching into a dispassionate explication of the neurological and psychological theories underlying his childhood trauma, thus distancing himself from the emotional pain that lingered.
- As news of his company's financial collapse spread, Michael retreated behind the opaque barricade of complex econometrics, poring over relevant spreadsheets to contain and offset feelings of individual failur or oversight from negatively trending feedback media the unvoicabled fail."