FEAR THESAURUS

NOT BEING BELIEVED



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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:
The fear of not being believed often comes from a place of abuse. A character who made themselves vulnerable to someone (a relative, a corporation, the media, etc.) and was then accused of dishonesty, unreliability, or worse—it's enough to turn that character into a bubbling mess of self-doubt and paranoia. There is nothing like an abuse of power to send one spiraling into a dark abyss that takes years to climb out of.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
peaking up when there is zero doubt that what the character is saying is true
Being loose with the truth (because no one will believe them anyway)
Being honest to a fault—refusing to tell even a little white lie
Needing constant assurance that people believe them
Withdrawing from friends and family
Questioning everything that is said or presented to them
Being able to read others and recognize dishonesty
The character often accusing people of lying to them or to loved ones
Becoming angry if their word is questioned
Searching for the truth in all things
The character having nightmares about times when they weren't believed
Keeping quiet about abuse or unfairness (because speaking up won't do them any good)
Harboring a healthy distrust of other people, institutions, etc.
Extreme self-reliance from the belief that the character can trust no one but themselves

COMMON INTERNAL STRUGGLES:
Wanting to speak up about an injustice but worrying they won't be believed
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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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