Well, that's one loose definition of the term. A psychologist would say there's more to it than that - it's a means of avoiding cognitive dissonance - or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves.
In Lewis's case, it's dealing with Lee Porter, The Body Perfect Englishman who he is physically attracted to and is growing to like in other ways, whilst at the same time focusing on the Australian Open. Not an easy task given the man involved. He assumes the two cannot go hand in hand, but he desperately wants a man in his life, so somehow this needs to happen. But with Lee? That seems unlikely. Best thing to do is wait until after the Open then tackle Porter. But Lee is not the type of man to be put in a box and kept waiting.
Here's a snippet from Lewis's conversation with Marie on the subject...
“Is he still in Sydney?” pressed Marie.
“Yes. I think he’ll be there for another month. Till the Mardi Gras is over.”
She turned to him brightly and stated the obvious. “Then why not see him after the Open? That’s what he suggested with the question, or did I misunderstand?”
Lewis looked at her, stunned by the level of perception. “So you picked that up as well! I wondered if it was just me, you know, wanting to hear something that wasn’t there… And yes, it has crossed my mind. But it still seems wrong. He’s a bit of a player – a shark I think you called him: a hungry shark
who likes plenty of variety in his diet. I just don’t trust him enough… or myself for that matter. If there was a story to unfold there then it wouldn’t have a happy ending.”
Marie shook her head indulgently, sympathetic to his angst. “You can’t say for sure. That’s life, Lewis. There are no guarantees. You can’t turn to the last page to see how things end, and then decide if it’s a story worth living. The real value lies in the story itself, not in the ending.”
“I… I see that, but…”
“But what Lewis?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps it would be better to just wipe him out for the time being and worry about him later. I wish I could just... what was it you said Chantal does?”
“Compartmentalise.”
Lewis nodded at the reminder. “That’s it. Put him away in a box for the next fortnight or however long I last, and bring him out and deal with him then… Now that would be a trick! ...Look, I have to get back. Thanks for talking to me, Marie. Tell Chantal that she’s one lucky lady, and that’s got
nothing to do with her being the champion. Give her my love, and wish her all the best for next week… We should get together again before the tournament ends. What do you say?”
Lewis got up and kissed her goodbye.
“Of course,” agreed Marie. “Let’s have dinner... And perhaps you should bring someone!”
“Yes, perhaps I should... I’ll call you.”