Why do people have a fear of success?

Hi Nan,

> Well, here I go ... jumping into a swarm of
> male opinions!

Heheh... we definitely DON'T want this to be a "male-dominated" board.... The more women who contribute the better it can be.... :)

> I think one of the posters was "right
> on" in that we often don't want to
> leave our comfort level. Those who have a
> fear of success wonder what life will be
> like if they become "successful."
> Will their friends change? Will their
> lifestyle change? Will they have to dress
> differently? Will people think differently
> about them?

> Yes, I know. Some of you are probably
> thinking, who cares? But for those who have
> this "fear," these things hold a
> major place in their thinking.

> The fear may be totally subconscious -- in
> fact it often is, which is why I reacted to
> my friend as I did. But as we probed deeper,
> I discovered that yes, there was some fear
> of success floating around.

> Hope my little dissertation sparks some
> thought.

Wow, thanks Nan.... I thought that was pretty insightful....

I had never thought of that, but I can see how that could happen....

For me, there are certain limits to how far I'd want to go. I think I would hate being the kind of person who is instantly recognized on the street.... I think it's nice to have some anonymity while you're going out to dinner or to the movies or whatever. :)

But there's still a long way to go before I have to start worrying about that!

I wonder if I have any "hidden" fear of success somewhere...? I'd have to give that quite a bit of thought....

Thank you for sharing those insights! :)

Dien