escape valve

noun — 2 senses

escape valve

noun

1

A valve on a boiler to let the steam escape.

2

Figuratively Any psychological mechanism to relieve stress.

Lastly, self-affirmation provides us an escape valve if we come face to face with the intrinsic evil of our actions and role within a group.2018, Peter Beattie, Social Evolution, Political Psychology, and the Media in Democracy, page 148:

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