| How do you respond to your
friends versus strangers? How do you act in new situations?
Why? What do you do when you walk into a new place with
people you don't know? What causes us to behave in this
way?
Everyone
has a little voice in their head. This voice talks to us
and can help us make decisions. When we are in new
situations this voice can become very loud. Your voice may
be asking "What do people think of me?" "Where should I
sit?" "Am I dressed all right?".
Humans are afraid of many
different things. Some people are afraid of death. Others
are afraid of snakes, or spiders or ghosts. One common fear
relates to personal image.
People spend thousands of
dollars every year to cultivate their personal image. This
image defines them. People begin to develop this image in
early adolescence and by the time they are adults, they are
heavily invested in this image. This image can help us when
it portrays confidences, competence and enthusiasm. In
some
cases it can also hold people back from reaching their
potential.
Fear of Image is when
maintaining the image becomes more important than learning.
A person can be afraid of losing their image. They become
afraid of looking silly or "uncool". This is Fear of Image.
People choose not to take a risk that may affect their image
even though they know it may also lead to new learning and
growth. Fear of Image can hold people back from making new
friends. It can also prevent people from having fun and
enjoying themselves in new situations.
What is your Fear of Image
keeping you from doing?
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