Another jewel from Steven Barnes

I should just post this somewhere where I'll see it every day:

I think we've all seen this before. In writing: people who deliberately follow pathways their mentors have told them will cause failure (like writing huge novels without ever having published a short story. You can burn up YEARS with this one.)
In relationships: following old, negative patterns of behavior, or refusing to pay attention to indications that a prospective partner is pure poison. (Prospective partner is pure poison. Say that five times fast!)
In finances: skipping your Quicken sessions, or refusing to balance your checkbook. Not answering creditors' calls. Continuing to spend money on consumer items that depreciate instantly.
In other words, you know what you should do, you are afraid to do it, so you take actions that look kinda sorta like forward progress, but are actually designed to create the illusion "I'm trying! I'm writing/exercising/working/dating but the world just isn't cooperating!"
Until you are certain that your unconscious supports your external goals, you are operating with your brakes on, and the results can be dreadful...
Lying to yourself and others.
Breaking promises to yourself and others.
Distorting incoming or ourgoing information.
"Forgetting" important details of your process.
Vague, unfocussed fears and negative emotions.
Procrastination.

Any and all of these can be symptoms of "fighting" internally, competing beliefs and emotions. And they can sabotage your life.

1) Where do you recognize the above behaviors in your own life?
2) Where have you seen them in other people?
3) Where have you seen them create dysfunction within organizations or political bodies (conflicting goals leading to gridlock)