The only person unhappier than a writer whose expectations aren’t
fulfilled is one whose dreams come true.
–Stephen King
Fear of failure and fear of success look very similar and seem to be equally paralyzing, Fear of failure keeps us from starting, fear of success keeps us from finishing. For example, encouraging
someone to try a community college class or an upgrade in job aspirations. Lack of confidence and fear of failure might keep them mired. On the other hand, I would see good students sabotage their own efforts at the end of the semester and deliberately fail or drop. One student expressed their concern by
saying: “If I were to succeed, how would my life change and who would I leave behind?”