By Glenda Hua (24A01C) and Ki’En Lim (24S06J, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

“How do you start trying and putting in effort when you have not been trying, because of the fear that when you do try, you will fail and not be able to achieve your goal successfully?”

Fearful Felicity

Dear Fearful Felicity,

Failure is one of the most widespread fears that can follow one in all of one’s ventures during all stages of life. As a student, you are afraid of failing your exams and disappointing your parents. As an adult, you are afraid of failing at your job and losing out on that promotion. This symptom is so commonly experienced that it has been coined a medical term, “atychiphobia”. It seems that whatever you do, there is always that possibility of not being able to succeed that looms over your shoulder and threatens to pull the carpet of self-assurance from under your feet.