Without being consciously aware …

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Robert Ringer

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Without being consciously aware of it, a large percentage of our day-to-day actions are motivated by fear. For example, you can be motivated by the fear of physical harm, the fear of losing a business deal, the fear of losing a sweetheart, or the fear of being embarrassed. While such fears may sometimes be well founded, often they are just a result of being intimidated, because that’s what intimidation is — motivation through fear.

Whenever you suspect that you are being intimidated, ask yourself a simple question: “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” If you can trace the reason for your actions to motivation through fear, no matter how subtle it may be, then intimidation is at play.

All too often we react like Pavlovian dogs and obey the commands of others without stopping to analyze why. Actions based on intimidation can become such an accepted mode of behavior that we reach a point where we don’t even recognize the true source of our motivation.

Of course, there will always be those self-righteous halo wearers who become indignant at the mere mention of the word intimidation. But I discovered early on that those who protest the loudest about the evils of intimidation are usually the very people who most frequently employ it.

That said, I feel compelled to add that given that human beings are masters at self-delusion, many master intimidators sincerely believe they are saints. But someone else’s self-delusion should be irrelevant to you. The only thing that should be relevant is your ability to spot an intimidator for what he is and steer clear of him.

That’s right — steer clear. Remember, dueling is outlawed.

Robert Ringer

Robert Ringer is an American icon whose unique insights into life have helped millions of readers worldwide. He is also the author of two New York Times #1 bestselling books, both of which have been listed by The New York Times among the 15 best-selling motivational books of all time.