Clarification on the definition of sublimation? I'm reading the wikipedia article on sublimation. The article says:


  In psychology, sublimation is a mature type of defense mechanism where socially unacceptable impulses or idealizations are consciously transformed into socially acceptable actions or behavior, possibly resulting in a long-term conversion of the initial impulse.


But it's not clear to me how these impulses are transformed. Are these impulses transformed inside the mind of the one who do them or are they transformed in a social level (via persuasion)?

Rephrasing the question: Does him argue with himself and make himself believe that the unacceptable behavior is actually a good thing or succeeds to persuade others to believe that behavior is a good thing?
Sublimation is a term from psychoanalytic theory. In short, the internatlized norms - the so-called Super-Ego - directs the drives to outlets that are free of guilt or shame. The whole process takes place inside the individual, and in fact the norms that individual has internalized (in his childhood) need not be identical to the norms that the adult person is surrounded by.