Projection occurs when we assume our feelings mean something about the person who provoked them, rather than reflecting our own psyche. On a vacation with a close friend, I spend an hour organizing the toiletries while my friend hangs out on the balcony, gazing at the ocean. I feel overworked, so she must be lazy. Or my roommate tells me, “Please wash the dishes.” I feel condescended to, so she must be condescending. Another friend leaves my party early because he needs to finish up some work. I feel disregarded, so he must be uncaring. Projection muddles our feelings with our evaluation of
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