Projection (psychology)
Etymology
From Latin "proicere" (to throw forth), from "pro-" (forward) and "iacere" (to throw). The general sense of casting something outward was narrowed by Sigmund Freud into a psychoanalytic defense mechanism, in which the psyche "throws" its own rejected contents onto other people.
noun · /pruh-JEK-shun/
The defense of attributing your own unacceptable feelings, motives, or traits to another person.
What it names
A widely useful diagnostic move: when someone accuses others of exactly the fault they themselves carry, projection names the mechanism — disowning an inner impulse by seeing it outside yourself.
Example
His constant suspicion that everyone was lying to him looked a lot like projection of his own dishonesty.
Related idea
Distinct from transference, which redirects feelings from an old relationship onto a new person; projection expels a disowned part of yourself onto someone else rather than replaying a past bond.
noun · /pruh-JEK-shun/
An estimate or forecast of a future amount or trend, extrapolated from current data.
What it names
A data-based prediction about what is to come.
Example
The company’s revenue projections for next year assume steady growth.
Related idea
A projection is only as sound as its assumptions — a caution at the heart of bounded-rationality.