The fear of success
by Jon Rappoport
February 28, 2018
This is an idea that gained traction in the so-called New Age movement: people weren’t succeeding in life because, secretly, they were afraid of succeeding. The idea was hailed as a major breakthrough in understanding human psychology. Pundits presented the insight with a aura of smarmy, smug, self-satisfaction: “Of course, I’m beyond the fear, but many of you little people aren’t.”
However, the idea itself has meaning. For example, success carries with it the implication of BECOMING KNOWN. For some people, this is verboten. “No, I don’t want others to know who I am. I would rather be a spectator and watch people step out of the shadows and ‘go public.’ Let them absorb the consequences.”
Spectatorship is, of course, one of the enduring trends of the modern era. Learning something useful, which a person then applies to his own life, takes a back seat to being entertained and stimulated. Passively.
The fear of success also embodies the risk of failure. “Suppose, with full commitment, I pursue my vision of what I want to create in the world—and it doesn’t work out? Suppose people don’t want to accept what I create?” This reservation is nothing new. The man who invented the wheel probably considered it. But it didn’t stop him. Today, he might be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
People are adroit at inventing all sorts of ways in which their nascent enterprise might crash and burn. They’re experts in that arena. They can generate 50 different varieties of fear around the possibility of success. Conclusion? “I choose to be a watcher. Entertain me. I’ll find all the adrenaline I can there.”
In the new culture of victimhood, the fear of success is transformed into: no one has a right to succeed. By doing so, he must be cheating and lying and deceiving the rest of us. “Success” is a dirty word. We are all equal, and equally disabled. We all have mental disorders. It takes courage to admit having a brain malfunction that needs treatment.
Psychiatry and Big Pharma have taken this notion and promoted it to the skies. There are now 300 officially certified mental disorders, and every one of them requires dosing with drugs.
Take a look at government, at legislators and the armies of bureaucrats sitting in their offices. How many of them ever started their own businesses? What attitude would you expect them to have toward individuals who have, who have made a success of it?
The fear of success embodies the idea that a person doesn’t have power. Once THAT pernicious notion has taken hold, the game is over. “Of course I’d like to launch my own enterprise, but I don’t have what it takes to do that. I don’t have the spark I need. There is nothing I can tap into. Maybe I have a genetic flaw…”
And yet, so far, in many countries, the free market has not been utterly destroyed. There is still room for the individual to strike out on his own and build an enterprise that reflects his best vision. Success is still possible, as long as the person doesn’t downgrade it in his own mind.
HOW DO I FEEL is another modern barrier to success. This unproductive question is brought to the foreground. “Well, if I don’t feel inspired at the prospect of creating something in the world, if I feel doubtful or afraid or reluctant, I should take these as signs that I’m not ready to ‘go out on my own’.”
Such feelings are a dime a dozen, and their presence actually means NOTHING—unless people have been trained to believe they’re important and crucial. Yes, trained. As in, indoctrinated. This is the Age of Psychology, and feelings have become gods.
The therapist asks the patient, “And how do you feel about X?”
A proper answer would be: “I feel you’re making a living by inflating the importance of my emotions to the point where I’m going to become an eternal patient, always and forever judging my own status by looking at random feedback from my own mind…and thereby paralyzing myself.”
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the New Age version of this “feeling quandary.” It’s: “I’m waiting for the Universe to give me permission to move forward with my plans.” “The Universe will give me a sign when it’s time.” “If things didn’t work out, they weren’t meant to be.” These are truly wonderful rationalizations. The person invokes a connection WITH THE WHOLE UNIVERSE to explain his inaction. On the one hand, he can relate intimately to all of space and time, and on the other hand, he can’t get off the couch. Brilliant.
Beyond all the elements of the fear of success—I could offer a whole host of homilies to encourage creative action. But the decision comes from the individual himself. It comes from whatever he needs and can put together, in order to make that decision. The reasons to launch are his own. They don’t belong to anyone else. He doesn’t need to consult anyone. He doesn’t need “collective agreement.” He doesn’t need consensus. He needs himself.
As Thoreau famously wrote: “If a man does not keep pace with [fall into line with] his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
You could call this bravery, you could call this courage, but it is simply self-reliance—once in a different age, heralded as a virtue.
Long before SELF-INDUCED inability was promoted and placed on a pedestal.
(To read about Jon’s mega-collection, Exit From The Matrix, click here.)
Jon Rappoport
The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.
“The therapist asks the patient, “And how do you feel about X?”
A proper answer would be: “I feel you’re making a living by inflating the importance of my emotions to the point where I’m going to become an eternal patient, always and forever judging my own status by looking at random feedback from my own mind…and thereby paralyzing myself.”
hahaha! At one time I was like that eternal patient. No longer and in part thanks to Jon’s imagination exercises and coaching. The following words came to me recently and I wrote them on a fb post as a kind of poem:
Story
I am pulling out
of the story of the world
to create my own story,
which is absolutely
beautiful.
I like that Nancy. As much as Jons wordsmithing. Or my rants. Do we get the cart before the horse however. Are we a society with no story. Are we men-childs and women -childs because we had no rite of passage with meaning or significance and thus a society with no story. The drunkeness I witnessed did not seem a rite worthy of mention.
It seems the self as individual is a natural thing to fall back on. So we try and reinvent ourselves. Are we up to the task. The age of the individual. The Age of Enlightenment. With digital and more stuff. It’s a facade if we deny our basic instincts. Are we social animals or not. Look at primates. They go neurotic when alone. That’s what we have. Lots of neurotic primates. Maybe we should be asking “what is success” prior to asking if we are afraid of it. “What kind of world do we want to live in” is another question the entire planet could start discussing. Everyday until we make significant progress and clarity. Stop everything else and ask this fundamental question. Fasting might for us some good too. Maybe we would appreciate what we have more. And not even crave “success” because we are in rapture of what is.
Thank you and agreed on asking what kind of world we want and what is success. Imagine if this was what was being blasted by media? And discussions and panels on these questions? Yes, lots of neurotic primates! ha. I am becoming NOT one of them 🙂 It is up to us. On that note, I was somewhat flabbergasted in a great way today visitng our local Winter Market (I live near a town of about 25K people in Idaho and lots of awareness of local food, local art, local support. Today I met three new people and got to know a fourth I already knew. ALL of whom living creative, out of the box lives to a certain extent. Three women raising sheep and other animals and selling products ad raising them naturally. One woman spinning from a special spinning wheel/loom that was invented and MADE by a woman ,without higher ed, who is now 84 and still making them! Another is a single woman making a living doing web design and living life she wants in the country and creating cards and art to sell. . And another a new person to our community from England who paints, then ships her art to one of the ONLY places in the US who will print it on high quality linen fabric. The result is stunning art on quality fabric. You just don’t see that in our mass-produces world. I have more examples from today but will stop! I am a single woman, just moved to 20 acres and planning food forests, outdoor art, nature workshops, art workshops, natural animal raising, etc. as my way of life, so seeing others doing this kind of things was tremendously inspiring to me. I see it as voting with our lives. Those women inspired me even further. Maybe discussions will arise from such inspirations. Cheers.
Jon
“Fear” and “success” are [once more] symptoms. They can be misconstrued, overrated, underrated, manipulated.
This this excerpt from my latest article https://ozziethinker.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/prophecy-prediction-and-consensus-view-preconditioning-for-spirited-souls/ may not seem particularly relevant, but [in fact] it addresses the root (of the cause). All humans (for instance) are part “Pleiadian” (from Atlantis). The Pleiadians could do more than “will” their existence into being. They could alter the very fabric of the universe to ensure fate operated in their favour. I give you a little plug…BTW:
“…For new lives to have any hope of matching the prior course, all (or the majority of) original connections would have to be in place. To a degree this is so, but definition will not favour the ardent egotistical materialist. Accountants would say all the pieces were actually in the wrong places, mixed up and “functionally defunct” (compared with originals). Yet, the truth is all the parts were in the precise places they needed to be for the new life to function optimally, even when the user’s survival duration was less than a minute. Existence accommodates limitless numbers of lives for innumerable purposes. Plausibly safe routes are present for those that choose to avail them. The quality of the stage we call death determines the speed of carnal transition. Peaceful deaths, such as “still birth”, would usually promote back-to-back lives (or instant reincarnation, though transference does not necessarily observe traditional linear definition). Traumatic or unfulfilled ends will naturally prolong transition. Certain individuals respond so badly to circumstances it is impossible to recirculate them. I hope the war machine feels warm about its unconscionable tyranny. How anyone can kill an unknown for the sake of “following orders” defies belief. But militant disrespect is not the only transgressor on that front. The deceitful “health” industry “helps” people die well before their time.
There are many different brands of “prophecy” and “prediction” aimed at courting the consensus view. Auspices such as conspiracy theories go some way to deflecting criticisms of mainstream inappropriateness, but balances that construe scales of political conduct are expansive. Of course political criticisms are almost always correct, but with such range much disagreeable dirt finds a way into the mainstream too, even if only for (as Jon Rappoport puts it) limited hangout….”
I did notice this sort of rhetoric you mention, Jon. It was a show down between Mary Ann Williams or Williamson (course in Miracles fame) and Tony Robbins. Robbins was way better cause he saw many ways to improve and become more capable and versatile. Her rhetoric was why do we have to live up to some big standard? Why not be happy with how we are?
I see her philosophy in what you mention. They are afraid to be anything. My brother was the best lesson I ever had. He was agitated in the womb and very clingy said my mother, after he was born. He was very insecure because my mother was dreading a 2nd child because my father had turned into a night mare and she felt trapped. My brother absorbed all that in the womb.so when he was out, they pampered him and spoiled him and never said no to him.
But I was expected to be a man and be responsible and sacrifice. That would be fine and I rose to the occasion. but while I held back most desires, every once a great while, I really wanted something. the first time was a baseball glove. They were a Whopping $5 at Arlans, the best price anywhere. No! I had to carry a torch for at least 2 years to get it. My brother wanted something everytime we went into a store. And he would always outlast them and defeat them. they were weak and had no will. The other time was I got a new Bike in 69. It was a regular Huffy thru S&H green stamps. but in 1973, a mere 4 years after a bike still very good but only 1 speed and 10 speed were the rage. They were many orders better than the old one gear. Several friends had them. I had to beg for a year, And little brother got one without asking.
He ended up believing he was special and that the world revolved around him . . . well, until we moved and he got into 4th grade and then he was no big deal to the kids. He did not ever fit in that well. Over the years he grew every more angry and jealous because no one was recognizing his “greatness.” He was so bent on being or looking cool, that he did not dare to try anything because he might fail and not look cool. so he would never try. but he hated and resented me for numerous reasons. My good grades, athletic ability, popularity that would develop socially, and the many abilities I acquired because I was not afraid to try and initially fail and get the hang of it in time. In fact, after his death, I found out his hatred (jealousy) for me was ever worse than I had realized. But all because I dared to try, fail, and keep on trying.
It is a terrible thing to spoil someone and not ask anything of them and allow the to no have to live up anything at all. I believe this is where the latest generation has failed. they are special because mom and dad said they were and not by some objective standard. they get trophies for nothing and are fine the way they are, being nothing. little brother died at 46 an extreme alcoholic. But the truth is, he was on his way to dying as soon as he was born. My parents would see to that!
never spoil children or tell them they do not have to live up to anything. Put some pressure on them and tell them you expect something from them and that they can do it but must be willing to fail at first and with time get better. I am glad I was not favored.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for constantly reminding us how to live.
Self Induced Inabilty! What a great way to discribe it! Add “disease” to the end and a prescription for it will surely come to the rescue!
SIID! Look for it in the next edition of DSM (Diagnostic &Statistical Manual). lol!
Re: “They can generate 50 different varieties of fear around the possibility of success” + 14 = the 64 archetypal fear-based “Shadows” in the “Gene Keys”.[1]
Every fear is for us to be fully embraced whereby we release the “Gift” in each of those Shadows. None of us were taught this and consequently many have become victims of these shadowy fears. However – understanding can come and more easily given a non-personalized approach that allows sufficient innocence for each Individual.
This is really about Human biology – albeit at a profoundly deep level that penetrates the psyche as well. The really good news (according to the Gene Keys) is that the biology is programmed for its next genetic mutation right where “Victimization” sits!
[1] https://teachings.genekeys.com/book/ref/294/?campaign=GoldenPathsinSanDiego
Fear of Success? I used to have that fear, till I performed my first song in a band as a drummer, and the crowd enjoyed it, so I did another song, then another, but my butterflies were still hovering in my stomach, hoping in advance that the audience were approving everything we did as a group, and everything I did to play my part.
However, it was not until a few months later, when I was asked to perform a Drum Solo, whilst the audience were excited, and whilst the rest of the band went for refreshments.
I do believe it was the first time anyone in the Air Force had ever witnessed such a spectacle. That ‘spectacle’ continued non-stop for 26 minutes, was totally ‘out to lunch’, and was apparently truly mindboggling to both the audience, and even myself. I had no idea that stuff was inside my mind, my muscles, and my spirit.
From that day forward, I never feared much at all anymore. Even became a famous drum teacher, with his own drum school & shop, and used my spare time to thoroughly immerse myself into a new subject, which I dare anyone to learn correctly, and that is Quantum Grammar. Now my drum solos are ten times better!
It is not for everyone, but for a moment in time, I can promise this; when you play drums, not just bash them, many things happen to both your body and your mind, and pretty soon you find yourself enjoying your own company truly well, though the benefits come later when you find yourself being attractive to just about everybody on the planet = more people to meet.
Voila! Fear Gone, and who cares about success anymore?
Loved your story! Nothing like having an “inner drummer” cut loose! Believe it or not your presentation is the best I’ve heard on drumming – as it opens the door to dimensions much greater than what little is presented by mass media.
Do you ever come to San Diego?
Your story reminds me of Junior Walker. His All Stars, had a gig and the guy who was supposed to show up to do the singing didn’t. So Junior was forced to do the singing and play the sax in between. The result, What Does It Take To Win Your Love,” is a song I’ll never stop loving as as long as I live. PEACE.
So glad you shared this, Bobby, as I just now revisited the song on YouTube and deeply enjoyed it as much (if not more) than ever!
Blueyblogger: I love this! Thank you for sharing. It reminds me of what really is engaging and attractive and fulfilling. Doing our “thing” full on. Life force radiating.
Jon, once again, thank you for this article and the deep thought it obviously required. I never fail to learn from you. Have a nice year and all the best to you and yours….