BT #34

By: Program Coordinator

June 23, 2010

Brainteaser #34 – the fear of failure and the fear of success.

Why were ”actyichiphobia” and “kakorrhaphiophobia” listed as hints?

They are both official phobia names for the fear of failure.

We never found an official phobia name for the fear of success.

We could call it “successphobia”. And it would be a lot easier to call the other one “failurephobia”.

Here are a few tidbits of interest that shed light on how the two fears are linked:

“ The fear of failure is often one of the most paralyzing phobias. Sometimes, we’re so concerned about failing that we don’t try an activity we want to try. Other times our fear of failure is so strong we subconsciously undermine our own efforts so we don’t have to continue to try. This is why many have linked it with the fear of success. Like so many other fears, this phobia is often so strong it brings about the very failure that was feared.” from Way2Hope.org.
“Unless we learn to embrace failure…, we remain snugly tucked inside our comfort zone. The pressure to be perfect leaves us tip-toeing around family members or coasting on automatic pilot at work, feeling safe but stagnated—and not quite alive.” from Psychology Today, Embracing the Fear of Failure by Carlin Flora
“Fears of success tend to cluster around several issues. One of the core fears that arise from change is that success will lead to loneliness. Women especially fear success because they are afraid that being powerful enough to create the life they want will render them unlovable.” Psychology Today, The Fear of Success by Hara Estroff Marano.

Related Articles