Hi! Sour Grape is a popular science campaign created by me.
Defense mechanisms are a series of strategies that the unconscious mind uses to protect one’s self-esteem. I was fascinated by the psychology behind them and decided to create a popular science campaign to introduce them and show the benefits of understanding how they impact our interactions with one another.
Sour Grape introduces the concept of Defense Mechanisms in the form of a made-up chatbot “service”.
“Targeting” people who are not good at comforting others, the chatbot suggests some encouraging (and often humorous) words of advice by using defense mechanisms as ego-boosters. It also advertises a selection of indulgent gifts that users can purchase to soothe their distressed friends.
The name Sour Grape is inspired by the story Fox and Grapes.
Aesop’s fable Fox and the Grapes tells the story of a fox that wishes to eat grapes from a vine but simply cannot reach them. Ultimately, rather than admitting defeat, the fox tells himself that the grapes are, in fact, undesirable, negating his sense of “loss”. The idea of ‘sour grapes’ is a perfect example of Rationalization.
If you want to become better at comforting your friends, which is always a great skill to develop, please don’t simply follow the examples on the website, as they are mainly for entertainment purposes.
If you are a psychologist, therapist, or popular science author with relevant work, please feel free to contact me and I’d love to post the link to your educational content here.
Sour Grape
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