This man is demonstrating which of the following defense mechanisms?

Displacement involves redirecting emotions or impulses from a threatening target to a safer one. In this scenario, if the man were to express anger towards a different, less threatening person instead of the source of his distress, it could be classified as displacement. However, the demonstration shows an outright refusal to acknowledge the issue, not a redirection of feelings.

Projection entails attributing one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else. If the man were accusing others of having feelings or thoughts he himself was struggling with, it would be projection. However, the behavior shown does not reflect this but rather a denial of his own reality.

Repression is the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts or feelings. While similar to denial, repression does not involve an overt refusal to acknowledge reality, but rather an internal suppression. The man's behavior is an explicit denial rather than an unconscious avoidance.

Sublimation is the process of channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities. An example would be someone channeling anger into exercise. In this case, the man is not redirecting emotions into a constructive outlet, which distinguishes his action from sublimation.