What can I do to reinforce my fear of acceptance?
Humor?
(From learnthat.com)
Overcoming the Fear of Rejection
By Learnthat.com Staff on Saturday, May 24, 2003
She's sitting at a table near you at lunch. You want to do anything; to say anything! She leaves and you miss your chance again.
Fear of rejection is a very common phobia. It strikes millions of people in all areas of life: relationships, career, and hobbies. Just think of what could be accomplished if we didn't fear rejection!
What can I do to overcome my fear?
1. It Only Lasts a Moment
How do we overcome this fear? Try this trick. Remember the scent of cinnamon. Can't recall it? That is because scent is like pain--impossible to physically remember after it is gone. Pain only lasts for a moment and then it is gone. Keeping this in mind will help you overcome your fear. Knowing that the pain will only last a brief second is one way to help you overcome your fear. One day, you will be able to look back at the time when you asked that cheerleader out and laugh about it. Rejection isn't as bad as we make it!
2. It Becomes Easier Over Time
Asking people out becomes easier over time. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes and the less fear you'll have. Like everything else in life it just takes practice. Do you remember your very first day of school? Or even your first day of college? Do you remember how scared you were? Over time, it became easier, as time went on, it became second nature. Asking people out, starting conversations, and introducing yourself becomes easy with enough repetition.
3. It is Exhilarating
Asking someone out when you are nervous or afraid pushes your limits. It requires you to step beyond your comfort zone. No matter the results, you can feel good about yourself for not backing down. Facing the fear of rejection squarely without giving in means never having to say "What if"
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I just can't let such a positive affirmation slip by without adding my own negative reckoning to the mix:
He is sitting at a table near you at lunch. You make your move, it is well received. He makes a suggestion and you both move to a stall in the nearest men's room. The fucking is hot, so hot that you're both making a lot of noise which is misconstrued as an assault in progress. Campus security responds swiftly, but you're both otherwise engaged and unaware of this undesired interruption. That is until they kick in the door to your stall.
How were you supposed to know that he's under eighteen? He sure looked a helluva lot older. It's really too bad that you live in a gossip riddled, homophobic, small town. The tiny yet esteemed college which you attend is even worse when it comes to scandal. This has probably blown more than your standing; you assume your scholarship is now a total write off. Besides, you couldn't have possibly known that he was the first born son of the Chief Of Police.
Fear of acceptance is not a very common phobia but perhaps it should be. Think of all the foolish and dangerously ludicrous things you've done to try to gain acceptance. Think of all the times your action was a futility of humility. Think about how it still stings whenever you recall that cheerleader.
What can I do to reinforce my fear of acceptance?
1: It has been said that it only lasts a moment:
This is true! A moment is not a predetermined measure of time. Beyond that, moments can be highly subjective episodes. A moment for a fruit fly may be very different than a moment for a glacier. The act itself only lasted a moment, but the child support went on for almost eighteen years. Try this trick. Can you recall the scent of fear? You can't. Well isn't that odd because you reek of fear! Many other persons nearby can detect this aroma acutely. To those well attuned to this odor you're looking more and more like a satisfying lunch.
2: It becomes easier over time:
Asking people out becomes easier each time you do it; this parallels the work experience of many contract killers. Do you remember your first day of school? You probably don't. Such traumatic associations can be debilitating to your daily functioning; it is quite possible that you have blocked that particular grim and dark memory from intruding into your forebrain. Someday you may be able to deal with it and then perhaps it will no longer haunt you in your dreams. However today is not that day!
3: It is exhilarating:
Asking someone out when you are nervous or afraid pushes your limits. It requires you to step beyond the definitions of that restraining order and probably violates the conditions of your parole. Don't do it! You should consider hiring a pro instead. No matter what the results are you can feel good about the fact that you're not paying them for the sex, you're paying them to leave after it's over. Facing the fear of acceptance squarely without giving in means never having to say; if I had as much money and power as Howard Hughes would this make me a better recluse?
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