Defense Mechanisms in Full Bloom
There was something called a __strong__defense mechanism__STRONG__.
A psychological process that searches for mental stability by unconsciously regulating or distorting actual desires while shielding oneself from actual threats of unaccepted potential anxiety.
That's as far as the academic definition goes that I can't wrap my head around.
In simple terms, it's the psychotic inner self-justification that says "it's my fault when things go well, and your fault when they don't."
Should I take the issue at its core and avoid it while grabbing at minor peripheral tails to shout "My life got ruined because of this!" like some professional male-blamer?
I'm perfect, it's just that the world doesn't understand me!
Why are you so superior, you!
Why does everyone treat me like this!
Like that.
Personally, anyone who often uses those words should be careful.
Normal interaction with someone who's heavily gambled on a mental insurance policy is difficult, I think.
Of course, everyone has a defense mechanism. Including me.
The normal operation of a brain that automatically prettily wraps itself in a reality full of wounds deserves praise.
Otherwise, how would one hold onto a sane mind in a harsh world?
The thing I caution against, however, is the professional male-blamers.
Those who hide in the shelter of the defense mechanism called "defense mechanism" and just scream loudly.
It was the sight of the empire lords before me that made me recall this defense mechanism at that moment.
"The housing is neat and clean, which is nice!"
The laborer's housing in the Shadow Mine District owned by the Bariton Family.
It was said to be the housing where mostly socialized goblins and orcs lived.
But no matter how I looked, the building was too short for even one burly orc to live in.
One orc was folding its body like it was curling up to enter the place.
The design didn't consider their physical structure at all.
The empire lords had transformed this unbalanced situation into "neat" with the word "neat."
This was the first type of self-defense mechanism: denial.
Simply denying the uncomfortable situation entirely.
But because the orcs lacked proper entrance technique training, the entrance eventually collapsed.
Haha. I'm also considering building housing for orcs and trolls.
Rynel said with a slightly awkward laugh.
With a big task like that, there must be many worries.
Since it's difficult to find the point where the two dilemmas of housing stability and cost coincide, I guess.
One of the TFT attendee committee members adjusted his glasses and said.
The TFT committee member spreading the second type of self-defense mechanism: rationalization.
It pretends to analyze and handle the problem intellectually when it arises, but in reality, it's an attempt to escape the situation.
For example, while consulting about child-rearing issues, you drift away by talking about inconvenient educational philosophies instead of the core education issue.
Besides that, the types of self-defense mechanisms vary, including projection, acting out, and regression, but what I caution against most is rationalization.
Also known as the __strong__new potato defense mechanism__STRONG__.
One woman biologist, who had come to the academy as a representative, said, casting shadows under her eyes.
"Actually, our goblins and orcs evolved to live in the harsh environment of the maze, so indoor living might not suit their physiological characteristics."
After failing to get the desired result, they created a plausible excuse and justified their position.
Through a plausible conscious explanation, they pacify the inner problem and prevent guilt.
This can cause the great disaster of reality distortion.
Yeah, they would be so frustrated if goblins and orcs had to sleep under a low roof.
Studies also show that indoor living can inhibit their instinctual activities.
But wouldn't the restricted environment actually increase their adaptability?
Self-control too.
But it would be better to let them sleep in outdoor spaces rather than artificial indoor ones to respect their natural lifestyle...
The TFT committee members nodding as if they were soothing each other's consciences by saying words far from the core.
They recognized the socialized goblins and orcs as empire citizens, but that didn't mean there was no contempt, disdain, or discrimination toward them.
Especially, the further you went from the capital Clovan City to the outskirts, the clearer the discrimination became.
TFT was created to remove this discrimination.
They were supposed to achieve inter-racial dialogue under their responsibility... but they discarded the concept of responsibility and instead bloomed brilliantly in real time with the rationalization defense mechanism that wrapped their irresponsibility in the plausible wrapper called "ecological consideration."
H-Huh... How do you think about the maze?
Are you not misunderstanding it as a romantic adventure playground or something?
Marien's cynical voice popped out.
The maze was basically harsh.
It had scarce self-food, oxygen, and even water supply was very limited.
It was a harsh environment where even humans and monsters could barely survive.
The TFT members beautified it as if it were the embrace of a romantic nature and swept all the faint guilt that had seeped into their inner selves.
Hah... Hmmm...
The committee members pretending not to hear Marien's words.
Time was too precious.
My legs hurt too.
I want to finish quickly and go home.
What was the main purpose of TFT?
Finally, I stepped in, limping.
Then a long nose blocked my view.
The chairman of the Interracial Integration Committee was about to speak.
Hmmm... It's the policy establishment for the unity and coexistence of all races in the empire.
I'm very disappointed that the attending committee members haven't identified the agenda yet.
Kung!
The chairman of the Interracial Integration Committee responded with arrogance.
I thought the new agenda had changed.
Is it good that monsters live indoors like this!
What? Young man! Kung! Kung!
Oho, the empire lords' cry was about to start.
This kind of thing, ignore lightly.
This TFT is the establishment of a unity and coexistence policy targeting socialized monsters, the marginalized race.
Then it means there's a current problem, right?
Then, a very small dwarf who hadn't spoken a word until now continued.
"In the last three years, crime statistics in the empire show that the crime rate of socialized monsters has increased by 15% every year.
Especially, theft and violent incidents near residential areas have surged rapidly."
Is there an analysis of the cause?
It is estimated to be failure to settle and social isolation.
There should be free education and housing support for socialized monsters in the empire, right? Kung!
The chairman of the Interracial Integration Committee kept interrupting without missing.
The dwarf also didn't hold back and continued.
Chairman.
There's something you're forgetting.
They also have emotions.
The dwarf's gaze became cold.
Her words had bones.
That is, goblins and orcs are living beings with the same emotions as us.
I looked at everyone and said.
This was my signature move in court.
The language of the gesture that embraces and understands everyone.
Also known as the embracing technique.
In the end, I understand that listening to their voices and identifying their needs is the first immediate task, right?
Yes.
The dwarf nodded vigorously to my words.
A nameplate reading "Minority Rights Protection Association" was pinned to her chest.
This was the first association I had seen.
It seemed like there might even be operating expenses for the association.
Then, wasn't the reason for this on-site visit to listen to the voices of socialized monsters?
Don't waste time here and move quickly.
I looked at Rynel and said.
He nodded as if it was obvious and reached out his hand.
It seemed like he had prepared something in advance.
* * *
I dragged my limping leg and followed the group with difficulty.
As expected, our senior.
It was refreshing and satisfying.
Marien was beaming because she liked it.
The secretary of the Pierce office glanced at the petite dwarf who had spoken firmly earlier and then stared at her back.
Is there something to say about her rough hair?
The secretary of the Pierce office staring at the back.
Here it is.
As expected, when we arrived at the place Rynel guided us to, the Shadow Mine workers had gathered.
Their appearance was so neat and tidy that it couldn't be mistaken for workers in a mine.
Their nutritional status was good, and there were no traces of violence or beatings.
Under Rynel's support, we are doing well.
It's a life we couldn't even imagine in the maze.
Gak.
Yes. Here we get food every day and have a place to sleep.
We are all really satisfied.
The favor of the Bariton Family will be unforgettable for life.
Goblins and orcs praising the Bariton Family.
Next to them, a burly troll was sitting with a world-weary expression.
Especially the goblins didn't even have their signature gak-gak talk anymore.
Gak-gak is a natural sound that comes out naturally due to their vocal structure.
Even so, it seemed like their basic racial characteristics had been completely erased.
As expected, the Bariton Family is very admirable.
You write moral textbooks for family lines of social leaders.
Looking at that, the TFT committee members added words with a pleased expression.
But Marien was frowning.
Her lips twisted cynically.
The sound of our house dog begging for food would be more natural.
She finally spat that out.
Fortunately, it seemed they didn't hear it because they were busy buttering each other up.
Especially since the talk of the socialized monsters that followed was extremely shocking.
If we only work until we are sixty, we can join the Wise Laborer Club, they said.
I am seventy years old.
I am one hundred and twenty years old.
The goblins, orcs, and trolls began to state their retirement ages one by one.
But what was the Wise Laborer Club?
If I think the name itself has impure intentions hidden in it, am I the one who's twisted?
What is the Wise Laborer Club?
The dwarf who came out from the Minority Rights Protection Association asked.
When her voice was heard, the secretary of the Pierce office suddenly paid attention.
If we only work until then, we won't work anymore and can enjoy retirement in the club.
We pay a small amount from our monthly salary.
Gak.
A calm hope spread over their faces.
It was a kind of retirement plan.
It was understood as a welfare that promised a comfortable retirement life by paying a fixed amount of salary as retirement pension for life.
A pretty good plan.
But the question was.
Whether it was actually realizable.
This Gilorian Empire had vastly different lifespans by race.
Even if retirement ages were set differently by race, a troll at one hundred and twenty was still in the prime of working age.
Even though there were still plenty to extract, they said they would let them retire and enjoy their old age?
Especially for long-lived races, there was an unrealistic aspect that the payout was too large compared to the premium?
It could be designed as a Ponzi scheme to support existing retirees with new workers' premiums.
But...
It was hard to accept.
Maybe it was just a fiction to induce compliant labor.
Then Marien asked.
Are there any colleagues who went to the Wise Laborer Club?
Marien seemed to have the same doubt.
Yes. My colleague Bolt went there too.
My friend Max went too.
Gak.
My mom Otic went there too.
The socialized monsters gave one after another testimonies of actual cases.
But we had to pay attention to their words.
They all ended their words with the word "went" the same.
No one said "doing well" or "met".
Even a goblin in her early forties, who looked obviously like that, said her friend Max went to the Wise Laborer Club.
According to their statements, the goblin's retirement age was sixty.
I asked them.
Are you all doing well?
Yes!
The socialized monsters answered with smiles, one after another.
We learned letters, so we write letters often.
At that moment, Marien and I made eye contact.
The same doubt was in her eyes.
She was about to search the Wise Laborer Club right away.
If it really existed.
Of course, applying for a search warrant wasn't difficult.
But hasty approach could lead to a mistake.
Rynel seemed likely to notice our suspicion and hide the evidence.
Especially since this place was his family kingdom.
I smiled and nodded.
Rynel-nim, the Bariton Family's welfare policy is really impressive.
I thought I had made a somewhat soft smile.
But for some reason, Rynel's face suddenly stiffened.
The next week, a worker welfare forum in the Gilorian Empire will be held, so it would be good to announce the Bariton Family's advanced case as a leading example.
For the sake of spreading excellent cases.
I made an effort to smile even softer.
Only then did Rynel's stiff expression soften.
Thank you for looking positively.
Thank you for your cooperation.
I bowed my waist like the empire lords and held Rynel's hand with both hands in a rhythmic handshake.
If only someone took a photo and stuck it in as evidence...
At that moment, Marien, who noticed, held out the camera.
A historic scene.
Since we have established a government-private sector cooperation system, please take a photo.
The TFT committee members who had gathered behind me and Rynel.
Each posing as if it were their achievement and looking at the camera.
I also smiled brightly and posed.
My legs were still stretched out, though.
Taking advantage of the bustle, I said to Rynel.
Oh, please provide policy materials and actual photos.
If it's troublesome, we can send our personnel tomorrow to take direct evidence.
His face suddenly stiffened.
A red light indicating that Marien was recording on camera was lit.