Why do we sabotage ourselves sometimes? You know what I mean - playing down our assets in our profile because we don't want to "intimidate" men out there, having a mild flirtation with a really nice guy, then backing away from meeting them, or actually meeting someone, really fancying them, and then never contacting them again because "it would probably never have worked anyway".
Sometimes we also set our dates up to fail – setting impossible standards for them to attain (they must look like "Mr/Mrs South Africa", drive the latest car and be able to rustle up an amazing meal). And if they don't live up to this unattainable dream, we declare them "the weakest link, goodbye".
On the one hand, these self-defeating actions have a kind of logic, borne out of awkward and painful experiences. They represent our attempts to protect ourselves from hurt. But the truth is, in protecting ourselves from hurt, we're also limiting our chances for pleasure.
Fearing a steep mountain climb may limit us from seeing the amazing view and refusing ever to do drag may stop you from really discovering new-found respect for men/women.
Perhaps what's really going on here is the fear of failure. What if I really write an honest and open profile and no one responds to it? What if I actually choose to meet the nice guy I've been chatting to for ages and he doesn't like me in the flesh?
What if the first date was so amazing that I'm terrified it can never be that good and so I want to preserve the experience in glass, frozen forever in the twilight world where there is no pain? A lot of us fear failure because our childhood experiences – trying out for the heroine in the school drama and losing out on the opportunity to kiss the hunky lead – were not dealt with in a caring and sensitive way. And so we learn to close up and limit ourselves.
You see, to date is to risk. To risk is to be vulnerable, to be uncertain of the outcome, to feel out of control. Is that so bad? Oh we do try to control our world: the perfect home, the iconic car, the holiday planned down to the last train timetable, but it's all a fantasy. Ultimately fate, luck, chance all play a role and we simply cannot be sure if a relationship will work. And so what if it doesn't? What have we lost? Does it mean we are unworthy, unlovable, unmarryable? No. It means we lived our lives, challenged our comfort zones and flew close to the sun.
So you singed your wings, but feathers grow again, and so will you. Don't find faults that others aren't even seeing – just soar and see what happens.
Comments (4)
Soooooooooooo true and thanks for a very aware and wise post.
Have you read my profile... I'd rather risk and fail than keep myself under safe lock and key and be numbed by the experiences we are all here to have and learn from.
You go girl and totally trust yourself to deal with anything that life has to offer... good, bad or indifferent...
This is how I live and love my life each and every day...
Wishing you well in your search.
kind regards
mariespoodles
Carry a template of expectations rather than respond to the real person they meet.
Thanks for an interesting article and intelligent posts.
As far as an anwser to the original question, I'm not one of those people who get intimidated, or who lose their nerve in certain situations...But you are right most people want this fantasy life that they see on tv....and get their emotions and expectation higher then they should and don't seem to overlook reasonable flaws in others, then later in life when they are bitter and alone realize, that is was their on fault for not taking the chances others were and not accepting less then their fantasies....here is a little something O dabbled a couple of years ago.....when life wasn't going so well..and people just have time to reflect on well life in general... well no I'm not going to post it here I don't know where I saved it at Anyhow, Have a good one hun..