Tag Archives: Primal Questions

A figure standing on a crate with arms open wide, releasing a cascading stream of shapes and pages. The words "hurts," "habits," and "hangups" are visible among the stream.

Oversharing Is Caring

Faith, Life, , , , , , , ,

If you’ve been following my blog lately, you may have noticed a pattern. I wrote about my approval addiction. I wrote about my ongoing battle with resentment. I’m working on a post where I share the full transcript of a talk I gave at my church about my sexual addiction. If you’re thinking my blog is starting to sound like a therapy session… fair point.

So why do I keep posting my L’s? Why does a guy who literally wrote about being an approval addict keep hitting publish on posts that are almost guaranteed to make at least a few people think less of him?

I’m asking myself the same thing.

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A figure running on a treadmill that curves into a large wheel, resembling a hamster wheel and suggesting endless motion without progress.

Approval Addiction: The Performance Treadmill

Life, Principles, , , , , ,

Hi, my name is Justin, and I’m an approval addict.
There, I said it.

If you’ve ever found yourself rehearsing a conversation in your head for hours, wondering what someone thought of you after a meeting, or feeling inexplicably deflated when your work went unnoticed, you might know exactly what I’m talking about.

Some people call it people-pleasing. Others call it conflict avoidance. Some frame it as a performance treadmill. The hamster wheel. Different names, same thing: a deep, sometimes desperate need for others to validate that you’re on the right track. That you belong. That you’re wanted.

Continue reading Approval Addiction: The Performance Treadmill →