Monday, July 07, 2008

Intrinsic Faith vs. Intrinsic Fear

Thanks to those of you who have sent comments and compliments on my last two newsletters. Those fantasy fairies and contemptuous eye rolls seem to be prevalent amongst you. I hope you're staying on the lookout for them.

This month I'd like to talk to you about the properties and characteristics of success. As Og Mandino writes, "Which two, among a thousand wise men, will define success in the same words; yet failure is always described but one way. Failure is man's inability to reach his goals in life, whatever they may be. In truth, the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits. Good habits are the key to all success. Bad habits are the unlocked door to failure. Thus, the first law I will obey, which preceedeth all others is - I will form good habits and become their slaves."

Yes, "good habits are the key to all success." So, what good habits have you purposefully and consciously acquired lately?

Intrinsic Fears

In my studies of Dr. Robert Hartman's works in axiology, I came across his "twenty properties of the self test" and I want to share these with you. He labeled these qualities 'intrinsic faith" and "intrinsic fear". The qualities of "Intrinsic Faith" positively enrich our lives while those of "Intrinsic Fear" diminish us.

Let's take a look at his intrinsic fears. While we do this, I have purposefully not put them in a list format but rather added them throughout the text so that your brain won't skim through it. I want to encourage you to think about each property or characteristic. Yes, it would've been much easier to simply copy and paste his list, but please take the time to read through these. Consider these questions as you read through this list...

  • Are you making excuses for your behaviors that match the intrinsic fears?
  • Are your thoughts telling you that you don't 'fear' anything?
  • Do one or more of these words stand out as thoughts/behaviors that you have frequently?

1Defiance and Spitefulness top Hartman's list. Do you ever feel 2Aggressive or Defensive? Has anyone ever told you that you are overly 3Competitive? Do you exhibit 4Restrictiveness or Narrowness? How about 5Cynicism which is a distrust of the integrity or intentions of others? Do you ever feel 6Sanctimoniousness or Holier-than-thou? How about 7Greed or 8Vanity? Are you 9Easily Hurt or Touchy at times? Even though you don't like to admit it, do you ever feel 10Cowardice in the face of danger, difficulty, opposition or pain? At times are you 11Vengeful and vindictive or 12Heavy Handed? Hartman also lists 13Complicated / Lack of Common Sense as an intrinsic fear. Do you ever have a sense of 14Irrelevance / No Sense of Proportion? How about 15Irrationality, 16Systemic-ness or Rigidity? Do you ever feel 17Tense or Frantic? Do you act with 18Inconsistency, Hesitation or Impatience? Do you sometimes feel 19Non-aware, Dull or Cold? Do you ever suffer from 20Indifference or that "Whatever (insert eye roll here) attitude"?

It's a Small, Small World

Here is an abridged version of Hartman's description of Intrinsic Fear... {Click here for the rest of the newsletter.}