- pass ing ▁The ▁emphas is ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁puts ▁on ▁h eg em ony ▁as ▁states ' ▁end ▁aim ▁stands ▁in ▁sharp ▁contrast ▁to ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ism ' s ▁belief ▁that ▁state ▁surv ival ▁can ▁be ▁guaranteed ▁at ▁some ▁point ▁well ▁short ▁of ▁h eg em ony . ▁In ▁a ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ist ▁mind set , ▁security ▁incre ments ▁by ▁power ▁accum ulation ▁end ▁up ▁experien cing ▁dimin ishing ▁marg inal ▁returns ▁where ▁costs ▁eventually ▁out we igh ▁benefits . ▁Def ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁pos its ▁that ▁under ▁an archy ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁strong ▁prop ens ity ▁for ▁states ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁bal ancing — states ▁should ering ▁direct ▁responsibility ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁existing ▁balance ▁of ▁power — ag ain st ▁threaten ing ▁power - se ek ing ▁states , ▁which ▁may ▁in ▁turn ▁succeed ▁in ▁" je op ard iz [ ing ] ▁the ▁very ▁surv ival ▁of ▁the ▁maxim izing ▁state ". ▁This ▁argument ▁also ▁applies ▁to ▁state ▁behavior ▁towards ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁system , ▁as ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ists ▁note ▁that ▁an ▁excess ive ▁concentration ▁of ▁power ▁is ▁self - de fe ating , ▁trigger ing ▁bal ancing ▁counter mov es . ▁ ▁M ear she imer ▁challeng es ▁these ▁claims ▁by ▁making ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁rather ▁difficult ▁to ▁estimate ▁when ▁states ▁have ▁reached ▁a ▁satisf actory ▁amount ▁of ▁power ▁short ▁of ▁h eg em ony ▁and ▁cost ly