Distal defenses minimize the occasions that proximal defenses must handle
Evidence
In other words, distal defenses keep death thoughts from flooding consciousness. Throughout our lives, proximal defenses help us deal with occasions when death stands at the front and center of our minds. But for most of us, the distal defenses minimize such instances, so we are not preoccupied with our ultimate fate beyond what our proximal distractions and rationalizations can handle. — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 631
Related
- Without proximal defenses people would be perpetually panicking about death (similarity 0.91)
- People unaware of their death fears are nonetheless governed by layered psychological defenses (similarity 0.89)
- Knowing how death awareness drives defenses enables more self-determined choices (similarity 0.87)
- Conscious and unconscious death thoughts trigger different defense systems (similarity 0.86)
- Conscious death thoughts require delay to trigger worldview defenses (similarity 0.83)
- Death’s most powerful influence operates unseen in normal life (similarity 0.82)
- No account of human behavior is complete without the awareness of death (similarity 0.81)
- Prolonged death contemplation keeps mortality thoughts conscious and suppresses defensive reactions (similarity 0.81)
- Long-term worldview security makes everyday death-distraction strategies workable (similarity 0.81)
- People are generally oblivious to death yet it shapes their experience (similarity 0.80)
- Worldview and self-esteem defense is bidirectional with death-thought accessibility. (similarity 0.80)
- Mortality reminders uniquely trigger worldview defense unlike other threats (similarity 0.79)
- Schizophrenic delusions function as shields against death terror (similarity 0.78)
- Children fear death more than parents realize they do (similarity 0.78)
- Threatening cherished beliefs brings thoughts of death closer to awareness (similarity 0.78)