A review by mariecorn
Why Do I Do That? by Joseph Burgo

3.0

“Our defense mechanisms are invisible methods by which we exclude unacceptable thoughts and feelings from awareness.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a good read. It really got me closer to understanding why we act the way we do and how our defense mechanisms can be so integrated in our lives that we don’t even realize we’re doing it or what is even going on. I love how Joseph describes it as a road that is well-traveled with a lot of ruts in it. When you travel upsetting terrain your wheels will tend to slip into them, and it will be hard to avoid them and create new and better ways to cope with the same emotional conflicts you feel. And the old ruts will always be there, and there is no ‘fixed’ you to get to, but it is a lifelong process and there’s always new decisions to be made and defenses to unravel. 

This book really gave some great insight, and I really loved the descriptions in the last chapter of what a life with renewed/disarmed defenses could look like, but I do wish the book would have gotten further into how you actually get there. I’d like to see a part two, running: ‘How do I do that?’😅 but overall, some good insights and definitely something we should all be more aware of.