Final answer:
Repression and suppression are two different concepts in Freudian psychology. Repression is an automatic process in the unconscious mind that hides unacceptable thoughts or memories, while suppression is a conscious effort to push unwanted thoughts away. This differentiation helps us understand how the mind deals with distressing emotions or thoughts.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Freudian psychology, repression and suppression are two different concepts, although Freud used the terms interchangeably. According to modern psychoanalytic tradition, repression is a process by which the unconscious mind keeps unacceptable thoughts, urges, or memories hidden from consciousness, while suppression involves a conscious effort to push unwanted thoughts or feelings away. Repression is automatic and operates without our awareness, whereas suppression requires a deliberate act of will.
For example, let's say a person has a traumatic childhood experience that they find too painful to remember consciously. The memory of this experience would be repressed, kept hidden in the unconscious mind, and may manifest in the form of symptoms or emotional disturbances without the person understanding their true origin. On the other hand, if a person consciously decides not to think about a distressing event or pushes it out of their mind to focus on other things, that would be an act of suppression.
To differentiate between the two, think of repression as a defense mechanism that operates automatically to protect the individual from distressing emotions or thoughts, while suppression is a conscious attempt to avoid or ignore certain thoughts or feelings.