Fear Of Success

It is a phrase that has always evoked a raised eyebrow or two. "Fear of success". It is easy to imagine someone having a fear of failure, but success? Really?

Absolutely. It is far more common than we might imagine.

Don't we all want to be successful? Why would anyone have a fear of success?

Your comfort zone has to allow you to embrace it. Fear of success has a best friend: self sabotage. The two co-exist quite nicely.

So how does an athlete, a patient, or a friend have a fear of success? A few examples are in order.

Let's start with an example from the sports world. Exhibit A is the athlete that is considered by many to be at the top of their game. They breeze through the early rounds of a tournament or stun their opposition throughout the regular season. But then, when the chips are on the table and it is time for them to bring their "A" game, something invariably goes wrong. There is always an excuse or a drama or something external that leaves them empty-handed. They can’t “win the big one”. Or, as many might say, the athlete "chokes". Sound familiar?

Consider the mindset that is underlying this phenomenon. If I am the athlete in question and I have a low self image, I will likely also have a low sense of self-efficacy. I won't truly believe that I am capable of that which I am trying to achieve (and perhaps even on the verge of achieving). I may have attained all the skills necessary to accomplish my goals - to take me to the level which I want to attain. But the question becomes this: what happens if I do? I then have to raise the upper limit of my comfort zone. I have to challenge the beliefs I have held about myself. I have to now adjust my beliefs of my self-efficacy. "See, I CAN do it". 

Those are all very uncomfortable things as they challenge me to see myself in a different light. Success might bring with it issues that will need to be dealt with - fame, fortune, you name it. Oftentimes, instead of pushing ahead, it is easier to maintain my comfort zone. That being the case, I do whatever it takes to maintain it. This will oftentimes involve varying degrees of self sabotage, which then confirms that "you see, I knew I couldn't do it" mentality.

It doesn't just happen with athletes. We also see it in the clinical realm as well.

If you are a health care provider, I am sure you have worked with a patient that does not "adhere" to their exercise program. Clinicians have, for years, been frustrated by this phenomenon. How can the patient not do the work necessary when they know it makes them better? We might think it is driven by a lack of motivation or any one of countless reasons. It can drive you, the clinician, nuts at times.

But what if the underlying reason is because their perceived self-efficacy is low? If the patient is now suddenly able to control their symptoms or improve their function with their own efforts, then what? There is a broaching of their comfort zone, and the patient must either a) allow themselves to raise their comfort zone (increasing their internal locus of control), or b) engage in self-sabotage (i.e non-adherence or any of a number of ways of doing so) to maintain their current self-perception. The benefits of maintaining their self-perception might be far greater than the benefits of "getting better".

And, of course, we see it in our daily lives. Fear of success is far more prevalent than we think. It's impact can be far-reaching. Let's face it - human interactions and successful relationships of any kind involve not only the words and actions we use with others, but with ourselves as well. Take a moment and listen to that internal dialogue. It may be preventing you from traveling the path you so desire.