FEAR THESAURUS

CONFLICT



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HELPFUL TIP:

A deeply embedded fear often stems from trauma, so it can be helpful to explore emotional wounds that may be a factor. Your character might also become risk-averse, avoiding people and situations they associate with this fear. And for a character to achieve their story goal, they must overcome any fear-based thinking that's holding them back. The Character Builder is a great resource for pulling all these factors together.
NOTES:
Disagreements happen, and while most of us don't like confrontation, we understand we need to face these moments of friction and try to resolve them. But for some, the threat of conflict sparks such heightened anxiety they'll do anything in their power to avoid it. As you can imagine, this creates a real problem for characters, since conflict is something they'll face again and again on the path to their goal.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
Being a people-pleaser
Holding back
Being highly agreeable
Lying when someone asks if something's wrong (telling them it's fine)
Not complaining
Putting up with problems rather than bother others for help addressing them
Avoiding certain topics when in a conversation
Changing the topic when things are getting heated between others
Avoiding people who are aggressive and outspoken
Being highly proactive or over-prepared (so nothing will go wrong)
Tentative questions
Finding it almost impossible to say No
Being unhappy or dissatisfied but not voicing it (not saying anything about an undercooked meal at a restaurant, for example)
Not returning things that are broken or under warranty
Putting up with annoyances rather than asking someone to stop
Always giving in
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COMMON INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
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FLAWS THAT MAY EMERGE:
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HINDRANCES AND DISRUPTIONS TO THE CHARACTER'S LIFE:
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EMOTIONAL WOUNDS IT COULD STEM FROM:
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SCENARIOS THAT MIGHT AWAKEN THIS FEAR :
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HUMAN NEEDS THAT COULD BE IMPACTED:
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GOALS MADE DIFFICULT BY THIS FEAR:
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CONFLICT SCENARIOS THAT OFFER GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
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