Fear of mistakes

Fear of making mistakes Symptoms

People who are afraid of making mistakes automatically do not appear as self-confident and competent as others, but instead radiate their insecurity. The urge to be perfect and behave correctly leads to excessive demands – and this is then also noticeable to others. If you feel helpless and nervous even though there is no objective reason for this in the situation, you may be afraid of doing something wrong. The fear of making mistakes can sometimes even lead us to weigh every word and every movement we make on the gold scale, fearing that the other person might take it negatively and misunderstand us. Unfortunately, this anxious attitude, which expects negativity from the outset, is an invitation for others to confirm this expectation if they don’t mean well by us. Someone who is afraid of making mistakes can therefore more easily become a victim of other people’s displeasure and criticism. This is because other people can sense, albeit unconsciously, that we don’t have much confidence in ourselves and are not convinced of ourselves and our abilities.

Anyone who is afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing also fears criticism from others and makes their value dependent on what others think. The fact is that mistakes are part of life. Without them, we wouldn’t learn anything. Only when we fail at something and then look for a better method or simply try again can we achieve something. The obstacles we overcome along the way are what make us successful. But if you are afraid of failing, you block yourself. Then it is impossible to move forward and develop, be it professionally, personally or interpersonally.

The fear of making mistakes paralyzes us and makes us passive. Perhaps you have already experienced being faced with a decision and not knowing which is the better option for you. Out of fear of making the wrong choice, the decision is postponed. Sometimes this happens until the decision is taken away from you and becomes obsolete. Then the matter is settled, but unfortunately an opportunity has also been lost.

Testing out possibilities and seizing opportunities often requires a certain amount of courage. However, fear and courage are mutually exclusive. Courage inspires, while fear slows you down and can even bring you to a standstill. Then you fall into the same patterns and habits. But if we don’t dare to try something new, no development takes place. However, the world around us is constantly changing, everything is in a constant state of flux. The fear of making mistakes can lead to withdrawal. As a result, we feel excluded and isolated. Through avoidance behavior, we want to protect ourselves and create a sense of security. We know our way around our own four walls, for example. And if you are afraid of making mistakes in your private or professional life because you would then feel exposed or embarrassed, you will avoid situations where this could happen. The fear of doing something wrong can therefore go so far as to restrict normal life and perhaps even make it impossible. It is not uncommon for this to result in depressive moods. If it persists for a longer period of time and causes a great deal of suffering, it can eventually manifest itself as an anxiety disorder.

However, milder forms of fear of making mistakes are more common. And basically, the fear of making a mistake is something completely normal that everyone has experienced at some point. Nobody is immune to the fear of making mistakes, because you never stop learning. Making mistakes means learning and we are constantly experiencing new situations that we have never been in before and for which we cannot always prepare ourselves, even in theory. It is therefore all the more important that we are not afraid and do not stand in our own way.

Everyday situations in which we fear that we might make a mistake, for example because something is particularly important to us or because something is at stake, cause our adrenaline levels to spike and lead to clammy hands, sweating, trembling, a dry throat or even blushing. These are unusual or unfamiliar situations in which we feel that we don’t have everything under control, that we can’t assess everything accurately and that we are excited and nervous.

However, the general fear of making a mistake is not only acute and consciously perceptible, but also influences our behavior in general, so that we are no longer even aware of its influence on our lives and consequently do not question it at first. This subliminal attempt to avoid mistakes, to do everything right, perhaps to please everyone else and to fulfill external expectations so as not to be vulnerable, also leads to more subtle symptoms such as stomach aches or headaches.