: serving or tending to protect oneself self-protective instincts/behaviors a self-protective reaction taking self-protective measures Doubtless, previous relationships play a role in your evaluating how much self-protective distancing you may need to connect comfortably with another.—

Why are people self-protective?

The self-protection motive operates largely situationally in response to threats to one's positive self-views. When people are unsuccessful or feel interpersonally rejected or excluded, they may be motivated to protect their self-views from the negative implications of these outcomes.

What happens when we are too self-protective?

By guarding ourselves against vulnerability to avoid certain risks, we feel safe, but become vulnerable in different ways, subject to both manipulative and mistrustful influences in the jungle of human relations.