: a way of protecting oneself from being hurt by other people
Examples of survival mechanism in a Sentence
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This inner tug-of-war can produce a survival mechanism masquerading as preparation.—Melissa Sierra, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025 In the wild, a sick or injured animal is vulnerable to predators, so hiding is a survival mechanism.—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025 As our predecessors became terrestrial and moved to dry, hot environments, salt became scarcer, and the craving for sodium likely developed as a survival mechanism to ensure adequate intake.—Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 Humans are naturally wired to respond emotionally to unexpected events as a survival mechanism, but in a workplace setting, this instinct can sometimes lead to unnecessary chaos and miscommunication.—Mark Murphy, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 As a survival mechanism, the women break off into a gals-only chat, which assumes the safe-space atmosphere of a women’s bathroom.—Kassondra Cloos, Outside Online, 12 Feb. 2025 My animal body lets go of the survival mechanism; suddenly everything is hazy and loose.—Grace Hussar, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
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