Commitment is probably the scariest concept imaginable. Just knowing that as soon as you say yes to something, you could be stuck with it for a long, long time. Now, this could be something reasonably small like marriage. Or this could be something extreme like actually sticking to a New Year’s resolution for more than 2 weeks. Could you imagine? Either way, commitment can be a frightening thing hence Fear of Commitment.
Locked Into a Fear of Commitment
Once you sign a contract, you are essentially bound to whatever you just agreed to. Most people don’t read the fine print which usually includes things like “you agree to donate your soul to us for the next 40 years” or “we now own you” or something more rudimentary like “hahah”. The latter of which doesn’t really happen but sometimes it feels like it should. Regardless of what it says in between the lines, the fact of the matter is as soon as your signature is on that dotted line (God help you if it’s a solid line), you have essentially sealed your fate. Of course, this concept of signage also applies in a more metaphorical sense. Such as telling someone you love them or agreeing to take care of your aunt’s guinea pig for a week while she goes to the Bahamas. Once the initial acceptance is there, you are imprisoned.
Commitment does have its perks though, to be fair. If you are someone who Fears change or prefers security, being tied down to one thing is probably the best option for you. I mean, you never have to worry about what tomorrow will be like since it will be the exact same. Everyday. Forever. Doesn’t that sound nice? If there’s one thing that will put you at ease it’s knowing that you will never have to expect a turn of events or a sudden change in your life. Everything about you has been mapped out to the T and nothing you do will ever change that. I know that makes me feel better.
Unlatching Yourself from Your Fear of Commitment
Best advice I can provide when it comes to this terrifying concept is basically to never agree to something unless you are 100% sure. Okay, I realize you can never really be 100% sure about anything because things change; people get sudden epiphanies about what they want in life and/or someone accidentally gets pregnant; it happens and you need to accept that. However, you have to be as close to 100% sure about something before you agree to it. Think about it: What if Shakespeare had listened to his parents and become a doctor rather than a playwright? I bet Romeo and Juliet wouldn’t have been so well off. Or what if Newton had gone with his gut feeling that the apple fell from the tree because of witchcraft? See what I mean?
If I get one more email telling me my facts might be a little bit hazy, I’m going to be very disappointed. The point is, before you commit to anything in life you need to be committed to yourself. …That was way too profound to end this article on but here we are.
