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A psychologist once explained to me how powerful and destructive can the fear of success be. In fact most of the time it's latent. Many of those complaining abo
by mojuba 17y ago
A psychologist once explained to me how powerful and destructive can the fear of success be. In fact most of the time it's latent. Many of those complaining about unluckiness may in reality be afraid of "heights": too much money or fame or both. Usually a result of "money and fame doesn't make you happy" but there may be other, more personal reasons, too. As a latent, subconscious force it may sometimes outweigh the other 9 factors mentioned in the article.
One of the signs you have the fear of success is when you respond emotionally to negative stories about the reach and famous. "See, they are bastards", you say, or other times "they are pathetic". Well, it may be true most of the time, but it's not their problem, it's yours.
- hristov 17y agoI am not sure whether this is exactly fear of success. I think it may be fear of failure, or more specifically fear of discovering that one does not have talent. For example, take somebody that is smart, is a great conservationist in parties, makes great jokes and has read the entire literary cannons of several countries. All his friends say he should be a writer. He has always dreamed of being a writer. Yet he never starts writing. Is that fear of success? Or fear of trying and discovering that despite everything he did not have talent? Anyway, while we are on the subject linked below is a hilarious episode of Black Books that is about this. BTW I think the main character of that show is someone like the person in my example. http://www.hulu.com/watch/114471/black-books-elephants-and-hens#x-0,vepisode,1,0 http://www.hulu.com/watch/114471/black-books-elephants-and-h...
- sree_nair 17y agoI am yet to meet anyone who is afraid of success, I think it more a case of the fear of Failure.
- mojuba 17y agoIn some particular cases - yes, you are afraid of going too high because the fall would be most painful. But still there may be, for example, some (latent or not) religious fears of too much wealth.
- araneae 17y agoThat sounds like Freud, who is pretty much discredited on everything. There's really no evidence for "latent" or "subconscious" processes that are analogous to conscious processes, such as fear. Fear is always pretty damn conscious.
- sophacles 17y agoNo, it's fear of success. "If I do well, they will expect more of me, and I don't want to deal with taht, however if i fail or only do OK, they will leave me alone". It is fundamentally a fear of others expectations.
- rajesh301 17y agoAny chance you can provide some references. Would like to dig deeper on this one.