The wisdom of the ego

* Introduction *1. Why Praise the Human Ego? *2. A Matter of Definition *3. Self-Deceptions of Everyday Life *4. Necessary Questions *5. How Can We Prove That Defenses Exist? *6. The Ego and Adult Development *7. Life Histories *8. The Ego and Creativity *9. Sylvia Plath: Creativity and Psychotic Defenses *10. Anna Freud: Mature Defenses *11. Eugene O'Neill: The Maturation of Defenses *12. Disadvantage, Resilience, and Mature Defenses *13. How Does the Ego Mature? * Notes * Acknowledgments * Credits * Index