Tilt Tuesday #5 The Four Fears that Interfere with Generativity

Insights from the Tilt 365 Science Team

Like most good things in life, generativity is not a given.  In last week’s Tilt Tuesday post, we explained that generativity is an outcome of flow that we all have the potential to experience and that generativity necessitates a transcendence of self-interest in favor of the purpose or mission of the team. 

As an anology, friendships are often very rewarding and can be developed over time, but if certain adverse events come to pass between two people, there is a chance that the relationship could be severed.  Similarly, generativity can be achieved, but it can quickly vanish from our consciousness following a variety of unfavorable events. 

Our experience and observations have shown us that fear is one entity that can stop generativity in its tracks.  Specifically, there are four such fears in the Tilt Framework that can draw us out of generative flow:  

1. Fear of vulnerability, 
2. Fear of abandonment/rejection, 
3. Fear of being trapped, and 
4. Fear of inferiority.  

Intuitively, this makes perfect sense.  When we are having a very productive day at work and the fire alarm goes off, it can be difficult to return to the previous flow state later that day once the threat has been resolved.  If we are out of flow, then we are, by definition, no longer being generative.  

In such a situation, we would have experienced the first fear on the list:  The fear of vulnerability.  Generally speaking, fear keeps the focus on avoiding or resolving the threat so that we can not focus on productivity and helping those around us.  Unlike other fears that are responses to real threats, there are certain fears known as ego-fears that do not always represent actual dangers and are instead just anxieties in our imagination.

What can we do to keep the four fears discussed above in check to preserve generativity?  Tune into next week’s Tilt Tuesday for some strategies!

Relevant Quotes

“…if we cling to our most primal needs because we are fearful inside, our higher functioning capacities can become impaired and limited. Psychological injuries sustained in our foundational years can restrict our growth later and become self-imposed glass ceilings. We must boldly face the faulty belief holding an old vice in place.”

— Pam Boney
 

“The truth is that you can’t allow the limiting beliefs of the ego to dictate your life … your career, your business, your relationships, your health. Remember the first statement … your Ego identifies with the problem. The problem is your state of mind … fear or flow. It’s up to you to FLOW.”

— Denise Hansard

People Also Ask

1.) What is the relationship between flow and generativity?

The two are like dominoes in the sense that first, you achieve flow, and then, given the current mindset, flow intensity, and duration, we can expand our consciousness into the generativity domain.

2.)  Can anyone achieve the flow state of generativity?

Our research and observations tell us yes, everyone can achieve it.  However, some people suffer from more intense fears and anxieties than others, so the potential for the flow outcome of generativity is not homogeneous for every member of the population.

3.)  Which of the four fears is most common?

The four fears are very individual.  Some people experience all of them intensely, some people rarely experience any of them, while everyone else is somewhere between those extremes.  What is important is labeling our specific fears and working towards peace of mind, flow, and, ultimately, generativity.  This is something we are all capable of.