I'm all for 'tools,' not 'schools,' of therapy. To me, the schools of therapy compete much like religions, or even cults, all claiming to know the cause and to have the best method for treating people.
David D. BurnsRead
Self-justification, therefore, is not only about protecting high self-esteem; it's also about protecting low self-esteem if that is how a person sees himself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Self-justification serves to protect one's self-esteem, whether high or low.
Elliot Aronson's quote illuminates the human tendency to engage in self-justification as a means of safeguarding one's self-image. This behavior is not solely reserved for those with high self-esteem; individuals with low self-esteem also seek to defend their self-perception, highlighting the complexities of human psychology and the need for individuals to reconcile their internal views with external realities.
Themes
Self-JustificationSelf-EsteemPsychologySelf-ImageDefense Mechanism
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a psychology class to discuss defense mechanisms.
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