What is Self-Sabotage and Fear of Success
We know that we have many common fears that have been around since the ancient history of humanity, that are coded into our bodies and that are not strange to code. Just like fear of reptiles, fear of predators, fear of fire or darkness.
These are some of our common fears that we do not hesitate to talk about and that we are highly aware of because they are visible.
It can cause reactions in our bodies that we understand why. No one questions why their heart rate increases, their muscles tense, or their sweat glands start working rapidly when they see a snake. Because the reason is visible.
The snake exists and is there. What if a person is afraid of situations they cannot see and has visible physical reactions? What if they do not know what they are afraid of and cannot understand their body's reaction?
Fear is a natural emotion felt in the face of a threat, danger or uncertainty. This emotion, which has evolved in humans and animals to ensure survival, works as a mechanism to avoid or cope with dangerous situations.
Today, the situations that people fear are no longer as simple and visible as they used to be.
For many reasons, such as developing social relationships and the evolution of human communication processes, we now struggle with invisible monsters of fear. The most common of these monsters may be; fear of loneliness, fear of failure, fear of abandonment, fear of death, or fear of loss.
It all still sounds very normal and understandable, doesn't it? There is an important point I want to draw attention to: What if we are also afraid of success?
When you first heard this, you might have thought, “Who could be afraid of success?” We unconsciously or consciously push ourselves to failure by fearing the situations in which we would be successful.
The biggest proof of why we do this is low self-image. Low self-image is when a person has negative thoughts about themselves, undervalues themselves, and lacks confidence in their abilities or successes.
These individuals often criticize themselves with thoughts such as, “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do this.” Those with low self-image may think that others are more talented or successful than they are and may belittle their achievements.
This can lead to a lack of self-confidence, avoiding achievements, not taking advantage of opportunities, and self-sabotage. In addition, constant seeking approval from others and fear of making mistakes are also signs of low self-esteem.
There are many different reasons for the emergence of low self-perception. These reasons are evaluated in a wide range from the individual's early life experiences to environmental factors.
In particular, negative experiences in childhood can directly affect the individual's self-perception. Overly critical or indifferent attitudes of parents can make the child feel that he or she is not worthy enough.
At the same time, traumatic events or challenging social relationships experienced in childhood can lead the individual to develop negative thoughts about himself or herself. These negative thoughts become permanent over time and cause low self-perception 1 .
Social and cultural factors also play an important role in low self-perception. The pressures that society puts on individuals, idealized concepts of success and perfection can cause people to feel inadequate.
Social media and other digital platforms in particular cause individuals to constantly compare themselves with others and belittle their own achievements .
Such platforms cause people to feel unsuccessful and worthless when they fail to meet perfectionist standards. Such pressures in the social environment can accelerate the development of low self-perception.
Biological and psychological factors are also effective in the development of this problem. Genetic predisposition can affect individuals' self-perception and create a tendency towards low self-perception.
At the same time, psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety can be both a cause and a result of low self-perception .
Individuals with low self-perception experience more anxiety and stress, which leads to constant questioning of their own values and lack of self-confidence. These psychological factors are important elements that reduce the individual's quality of life.