Shortcast : Fear of Finding Out

Is there something in your life that you would rather not know about for fear of finding out? FOFO was an acronym that I came across this week. In this show, we explore the things we avoid for fear of finding out what we cannot solve, meet or stop. The point is fear of the unknown is often bigger than the fear of the actual problem.

I discover the phrase while reading a news piece about government policy and politicians refusing to investigate something or even look at something for fear of finding out and being duty-bound to take action. 

FOFO  was an activity that I am aware of but I never heard it coined in that way. We all have places or areas in life that we would rather ignore. Reading the article, I was surprised it had pervaded politics and government policy. And yet, in politics, there is more at stake here because, without investigation, there is plausible deniability. 

When thinking about the subject, the first instance that comes to mind is in the health industry, and indeed there is an interesting article in the British Medical Journal BMJ. People will ignore symptoms and put off seeking medical advice rather than face what could be invasive tests or treatments. Now that I think about it, I remember people who ignored lumps marks or symptoms and paid the price for the delay. 

The piece sent me on an exploration of the online world and my FOFO, and I concluded that fear of finding out is more common than I first thought. In the show, we look at examples and strategies you could employ to get through the problem. 

In the final analysis, all of this is about fear at its worse. There is nothing quite like the paralysis of unknown fear because it will get bigger the longer you leave it. 

Fears must be faced, and it is a bitter pill that can be sorted with support.

If you have an issue that you are ignoring, ask for help before it is too late.

 

 

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