Bypassing Bite #2: Avoidance Works. That’s the Problem.

Why the Thing That Gives You Relief Today Creates Trouble Tomorrow Avoidance gets a bad rap. But here’s the problem: avoidance works. Don’t send the email. Don’t make the ask. Don’t have the uncomfortable conversation. Say “it’s fine” and move on. And almost immediately, you feel better. That relief is exactly what makes avoidance such an effective self-preservation strategy—and why we keep returning to it. But the thing we avoided rarely disappears. Instead, we may be teaching ourselves that...