Jonah complex: the curious fear of success

The vast majority of psychologists will be familiar with the concept of self realisation from Abraham Maslow. We all know that we should eat, drink or sleep, but once these physiological needs are met, we aspire to other needs of a higher level according to the theory of Maslow's pyramid.

At the top of this pyramid are the needs for self-fulfillment: the psychological and spiritual needs that make us feel fulfilled. Maslow was the father of the humanistic psychology, a psychological current that postulates the existence of a basic human tendency (self-realization) towards mental health and well-being.

The Jonah Complex

Maslow however, in opposition to self-realization, coined the term "Jonah complex”To refer to the fear of our own greatness, the avoidance of our own destiny or the flight of our best talents.

In researching the concept of his self-realization, the humanistic psychologist posed the following question: If we are born with unlimited potential for self-development, "Why doesn't everyone achieve the goal of self-actualization?

". One of the reasons that Maslow raises in his book The Farther Reaches of Human Nature published in 1971, is the Jonah Complex.

Who is Jonah?

The Jonah Complex is inspired by the biblical figure of Jonah, a man who was a merchant and tried to resist God's call to fulfill an important mission. His destiny was to become a prophet, however his first reaction was to flee, for fear of not being up to the task.

Maslow's explanation of the Jonah complex is that just as we fear the worst in ourselves, we also fear the best, we fear our fullest possibilities. He scares us to become what we imagine, in our best moments, our ideal conditions. We enjoy and even delight in the divine possibilities that we discover in our peak moments, but In the same way, we are agitated before the fear or the weakness of those same possibilities, perhaps because we do not want to leave the comfort zone.

Get out of the comfort zone

Many times the fear of leaving the comfort zone is what limits us to continue growing or what causes us anxiety. In fact, on many occasions we even prefer the bad rather than risk seeking our self-realization, our well-being. Staying anchored in the comfort zone, avoiding self-reflection to continue growing, can cause us to remain anchored to our fears without stepping on uncertainties.

We already commented in the article "Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection"that living constantly from our desires and our unfulfilled desires, without betting on them, generates low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, social withdrawal, little assertiveness, constant stress and anxiety, psychosomatic problems and a poor emotional well-being.

Unlock yourself so you can move towards success

Although reflection on personal development may seem easy at first glance, there are many people who turn to professionals in the coaching to be unlocked. The coachAs a facilitator of personal development, it gets the client to reflect through Socratic questions, allowing the client to continue growing as a person. The coach helps to connect with desires and emotions, favoring self-realization and allowing to get to the place where one wants to be.

In summary, life prompts us to follow the path to self-realization. Throughout our experiences, we are encountering various difficulties that prevent us from looking clearly into the future, and that generate fears, insecurities and make us feel lost. Some wait and wait for everything to pass and snap back together, others chase again and again what makes them feel alive, which makes them feel well-being. It is the best way to abandon pessimism or bad habits that prevent us from achieving our goals.