Todd has trained for months to run a marathon and followed a strict diet. When his coach discovers him snacking on donuts and neglecting his exercise regimen just days before the race, Todd tells his coach, "No one is perfect. We all give in to temptation every once in a while." Todd is engaging in __________.

Todd has trained for months to run a marathon and followed a strict diet. When his coach discovers him snacking on donuts and neglecting his exercise regimen just days before the race, Todd tells his coach, "No one is perfect. We all give in to temptation every once in a while." Todd is engaging in rationalization.

• This is a defense mechanism where a person tries to justify or explain their behavior or feelings in a seemingly rational or logical way, often to avoid the true explanation or to mitigate the actual reasons for their actions. In Todd's case, he's justifying the consumption of donuts and neglecting his exercises by arguing that everyone has moments of weakness, thus avoiding the need to directly confront his lapse in discipline or the possible consequences of his actions on his performance in the upcoming marathon.