FUD is a term used in my industry. It stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. This is what the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) tells customers about TPMs (Third Party Maintainers) to make them think twice about moving to a less expensive support option. While I could talk all day about how much FUD is dorking up my work-world and our industry in general, I really want to talk about how FUD exists in our real lives and dorks us up in the head instead (ha ha...I rhymed!).
Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. Those three things keep us chained to people and jobs and thoughts that are not good for us. It keeps us from chasing our dreams. It keeps us wondering if we'll ever be enough, do enough or achieve enough to be worth anything. It makes us think too much about why a person hasn't called, or has called. It makes us read into things and create emotions or intentions that don't really exist. It plays on our insecurities and makes us wonder what is right or wrong. It makes us second-guess our decisions and may lead to indecision because the right seems wrong and the wrong seems right...or something like that.
I was talking to one of the guys I work with--really, he was talking to me which is how it usually goes since I try not to say much so as to not prolong an already prolonged conversation--and he was talking about how his wife lets the FUD get into her head about certain things. It was funny listening to him say this because just a couple of months ago, I asked him to my office to discuss something. He got so worked up over my asking him to come to my office at a specified time because he was sure I was going to fire him. He created this thought in his head because there'd been an incident earlier in the week. In reality, I just needed to discuss some challenges we were having regarding the team overall since he's their lead. This is another example where our thoughts become our feelings. We let the fear of 'x', the uncertainty over 'y' and the doubt of ourselves, our situations, our 'z' dictate what something means without finding out what's on the other end...the REALITY.
In the end, FUD f*cks with our heads. Too bad that big foil thingy to keep the aliens from taking our brains doesn't work on FUD. If it did, the foil companies would rule the world!
Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. Those three things keep us chained to people and jobs and thoughts that are not good for us. It keeps us from chasing our dreams. It keeps us wondering if we'll ever be enough, do enough or achieve enough to be worth anything. It makes us think too much about why a person hasn't called, or has called. It makes us read into things and create emotions or intentions that don't really exist. It plays on our insecurities and makes us wonder what is right or wrong. It makes us second-guess our decisions and may lead to indecision because the right seems wrong and the wrong seems right...or something like that.
I was talking to one of the guys I work with--really, he was talking to me which is how it usually goes since I try not to say much so as to not prolong an already prolonged conversation--and he was talking about how his wife lets the FUD get into her head about certain things. It was funny listening to him say this because just a couple of months ago, I asked him to my office to discuss something. He got so worked up over my asking him to come to my office at a specified time because he was sure I was going to fire him. He created this thought in his head because there'd been an incident earlier in the week. In reality, I just needed to discuss some challenges we were having regarding the team overall since he's their lead. This is another example where our thoughts become our feelings. We let the fear of 'x', the uncertainty over 'y' and the doubt of ourselves, our situations, our 'z' dictate what something means without finding out what's on the other end...the REALITY.
In the end, FUD f*cks with our heads. Too bad that big foil thingy to keep the aliens from taking our brains doesn't work on FUD. If it did, the foil companies would rule the world!
Excellent post! VERY good points and so true. I need to work on making my life a no FUD zone. Keep me accountable, would ya?
ReplyDeleteAccountability partners sounds like an excellent plan!
ReplyDelete