Plain English Meaning

Blaming others for what you actually feel or do yourself. Instead of seeing a fault in yourself, you see it in someone else.

Full Definition

A defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously attributes their own unacceptable feelings, thoughts, motives, or shortcomings to someone else, thereby avoiding awareness of those traits in themselves.

Context Anchor

Seen in aviation instruction discussions about student behavior, instructor judgment, and how people react under stress or correction.

Derivation

From Latin proicere, meaning 'to throw forward.' The idea is that the person mentally 'throws' their own feelings outward onto someone else rather than owning them.

Why Pilots Care

Recognizing projection helps instructors interpret student reactions accurately and maintain effective communication during training.

Intuition Check

Projection does not mean a or a planned here. In this context, it means putting your own uncomfortable feeling or fault onto someone else without realizing it.