Which defense mechanism primarily prevents discomfort and saves time and effort through shielding the ego?

• A. Repression
• B. Displacement
• C. Sublimation
• D. Countertransference

Answer: (A)

Repression is the unconscious block of painful thoughts, memories, or impulses from entering conscious awareness. By pushing distressing material out of awareness, the ego avoids the immediate anxiety those thoughts provoke, which reduces discomfort and makes mental processing less taxing, effectively saving time and effort. This shielding of the ego is what keeps the person from having to confront the troubling material directly.

Displacement redirects emotions from their original source to a safer target, which doesn’t remove the distress so much as relocate it. Sublimation channels impulses into socially acceptable or productive outlets, turning the energy into constructive action rather than simply shielding awareness. Countertransference isn’t about the person’s own defenses; it describes a therapist’s emotional reactions to a client, which is not a mechanism the ego uses to manage internal anxiety.