Final answer:
The unconscious ego limits anxiety primarily through ego defense mechanisms such as repression, where anxiety-triggering memories are pushed out of consciousness, and reaction formation, where unacceptable desires are replaced with their opposites.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two ways the unconscious ego limits anxiety involve the use of ego defense mechanisms. Specifically, repression and reaction formation. In repression, anxiety-provoking memories are blocked from consciousness, akin to turning up the radio to drown out the noise of a faulty car engine, eventually leading the concern to be forgotten. Conversely, reaction formation is an ego defense mechanism where a person unconsciously swaps unacceptable urges or behaviors for their opposites. For instance, someone who feels attracted to the same sex but believes it to be wrong might outwardly act to hide their true feelings.
Freud's exploration of the psyche emphasizes that the ego deploys various defense mechanisms to balance inner conflicts and conform to societal expectations, often without the individual's conscious awareness. By doing so, the ego protects itself from the overwhelming anxiety that could arise otherwise.