Fear Triangle - Q&A Edition
Jason asked a few questions in my post about Fear Triangle. I want to ruminate about it in this post.
I came to know about Fear Triangle through Joe Hudson in the Art of Accomplishment post. He frames it as Shame, Blame and Guilt. Interestingly, I found this in my mythology rabbit hole and used very well by the psychotherapists
The main question was this:
What happens after you jump out of the fear triangle? What’s the name of the role you become (compared to hero, villain or victim)?`
(Caveat: I am just an enthusiast, not an expert. I am trying to understand my emotions better and take care of myself.)
I think the purpose of the fear triangle is to understand its manifestations. If you are feeling shame/blame/guilt act like a hero/villain/victim, it is highly possible that there is some fear that needs to be addressed or thought about in detail.
As human beings, we don’t really jump out of this triangle. In a minute, I may feel all three feelings (shame/blame/guilt) on various things. But the moment I recognise there is fear, something changes in the manifestation. Joe has some good exercises and a mental framework for handling this. His suggestion is to “love your fear”. Because your fear is not your enemy. It is an evolutionary instinct to protect you from something.
(There are times when you say fuck-off to that fear. But more on that on another day)