A man is attracted to his brother’s wife, but he acts especially cool toward her, ignoring her so much that his brother asks him why he’s being so cold, “We’re brothers and you’re treating my wife like she isn’t even part of the family!”
(1) Analyze this in terms of defense mechanisms. What’s going on? What’s this man’s conscious understanding of why he’s acting this way? What’s his unconscious reason?
(2) How might a cognitive therapy counselor like Aaron Beck guide this man in therapy? Is there some kind of cognitive distortion going on — maybe an unrealistic standard?
