The Power Of Fear Vs. The Negative Impact Of Doubt

I heard something very powerful over the weekend:

Fear is an instinct, and doubt comes from within us. Doubt is tied to emotions.

What does this mean?

Fear is healthy and natural, but doubt can be destructive.

Fear Is An Instinct.

Fear is not a bad thing. In fact, fear drives us to want to survive. Tens of thousands of years ago, fear told us to run when we were being chased by predators. In modern times, we are no longer being chased by predators, but fear is still present. When something threatens our survival, we feel fear, because we know we have to do something.

Fear keeps us alive.

Fear Helps Us Play To Win.

Especially when we are playing to win for the right reasons – for our own reasons… reasons tied to our values, goals and visions (VGVs) – fear is healthy.

Fear helps drive us to survive. 

Doubt Is Not An Instinct.

Doubt is different from fear. Doubt is something we experience as a result of our negative emotions. Doubt, unlike fear, holds us back instead of pushing us forward. Doubt causes us not to play to win.

Doubt results in us playing not to lose.

A Little Fear Is Healthy.

Like with everything, too much is too much. When it comes to fear, too much can become overwhelming and debilitating. But, a little fear is healthy.

Fear in alignment with our values, goals and vision can help us:

  • Stay focused
  • Stay consistent
  • Be persistent

Fear aligned with our values, goals and vision is powerful and drives results.

About the author

Joe Marinucci

Joe Marinucci is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Digital Media Solutions since the company’s inception in 2012. Marinucci is responsible for the overall vision and strategy of DMS, leveraging the best people, processes and technology in the industry to deliver data-driven digital performance advertising solutions to offer visibility into the customer experience, help brands grow their businesses and provide accountability for every media dollar spent. Under Marinucci’s leadership, DMS has evolved into an award-winning, digital performance advertising company demonstrating consistent and significant year-over-year growth which earned recognition on the Inc. 5000 list for seven consecutive years.