Defeat and destructive patterns: a brief review of recent studies. Part I

A brief recent literature review was conducted on defeat and destruction. This problem was evident when Sigmund Freud drew attention to and explored it. But empirical psychology examined it enlightening self-interest. Defeat or destructive behavior delineates limits to human rationality. It is reviewed a dozen sets of studies about defeating and destructive behavior and personality patterns. They deserve mention because bring greater costs than benefits to the self, such as by causing failure, harm, or suffering. Three fields, within which defeat and destruction were examined, are highlighted. First is self-defeating and self-destructive patterns. Second is understanding the defeat from an evolutionary perspective, namely depression, suicidality, anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Third is mental defeat related to trauma. An emphasis was given to a literature on properties of self-defeating behavior and personality patterns. Self­defeating behavior can be distinguished on primary self­destruction, tradeoffs, and counterproductive strategies. Personality patterns of defeat are specified from the perspective of the five-factor model although findings vary across data of authors.