A student in your class gets picked on by other students. He says it's okay because that means the other students like him. This is an example of
a defensive coping mechanism called rationalization.
Rationalization is a psychological defense mechanism where individuals justify or provide logical reasoning for their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to protect their self-esteem or reduce cognitive dissonance. In this case, the student is rationalizing the bullying by convincing themselves that being picked on means that the other students actually like them. This helps them maintain a positive self-image despite the negative experiences.