Want to lose your inhibitions? Want to help someone else lose
his or her inhibitions?
Want to understand the background for your
inhibitions? Want to know why losing your inhibitions is safe? Want
to know how to lose your inhibitions?
Then this long, in-depth self
help article is for you! A personal development article with what you need
to know
We humans are social animals. We live in pairs
and groups. This means that we relate a lot to each other, we help each other,
we affect each other, and - most importantly - we model ourselves to try and fit
in.
This is the most likely origin of most kinds of inhibitions. We are
talking about social dynamics, here - and culture.
In other words,
your
inhibitions stem from your 'trying to fit in'.
You deliberately limit
yourself in an attempt to be accepted and to not be rejected by other people,
particularly the people in your own social group(s).
Unfortunately your
inhibitions keep you from living your life to the fullest; inhibitions keep you
from being yourself, from being the person you really want to be.
Happily, though, it doesn't have to be like that!
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
You Have Power Over Your Inhibitions
Inhibitions are YOU trying to limit yourself to gain
acceptance, etc.
This fact is extremely important, because
it means that YOU have the power to change your inhibitions -
or to lose your inhibitions completely.
Nothing, and I
really mean nothing, supersedes your free will in this area.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How of No
Inhibitions:
Inhibitions Are Fear Based
So,
our inhibitions are mostly of a social nature.
Also,
our inhibitions are all about fear.
If you have read
other things here on thepersonaldevelopmenguy.com, you will
likely have noticed my 'take' on fear:
Fear is the
favorite tool of
the ego, but fear clouds our judgement, fear
makes us stupid, and we really don't need it.
Fear
stems from a natural reaction to clear and present danger, but
since danger is neither clear nor present in modern life (in
most parts of the world), we really do not need it and should
consciously decide to let go
of it.
So, that's the
first reason to lose your inhibitions, right there:
Inhibitions are fear based and thus they are not only
unnecessary, they also make you more or less ... well, stupid
... in thought, word and deed.
This becomes even more
clear when we take a quick look at a few typical kinds of
inhibitions we humans may have.
Lose Your
Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
Typical Human Inhibitions
Maybe you are a woman and you
have inhibitions regarding your body and your looks, maybe you
are a man and have inhibitions regarding feeling and showing
emotions. Randomly selected but typical human inhibitions
include things like:
- being shy - feeling guilty
- feeling shameful - having trouble communicating
- having general contact inhibition - fearing the loss of
control - thinking you need power - lacking empathy
- lacking the ability to feel your own emotions -
lacking the ability to express your emotions - feeling
inadequate - having low self confidence - having low
self esteem - sexual inhibitions - and, of course,
there are many, many more.
You may notice several
things about this list. One is that most of the above types of
inhibition usually takes the form of a pattern of behavior - a
habit.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How
of No Inhibitions:
Inhibitions Are Habits
Soooo ... Can you kick an old habit?
Sure you can. Any
habit imaginable can be kicked. It is, after all, just a
habit. It is merely something you have chosen to do at some
point ... and which you now continue to do without thinking.
Noticing your pattern of behavior is the first step on the
way to lose your inhibitions.
To overcome your
inhibitions you need to be aware of them.
One very good
way to do this record them in a
personal development journal.
You could also seek the help of either the people who know you
best (simply ask them what they think your inhibitions are) or
a trained professional like a coach, teacher, counsellor,
guide or psychologist.
And now, let's just take a quick
look at a general example ...
Lose Your
Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
Example: The Girl Next Door
Why does the girl next door
have trouble relating in a natural and healthy way to men?
Perhaps because she has been taught that she must 'be a
good girl', and she has chosen to believe this.
Now,
being 'a good girl' is pretty poorly defined, but in general
it seems to consist of a lot of things that you must NOT
think, feel or do. It is, in other words, negative, and thus
it reveals its true origin: 'Being a good girl' is fear based.
It is implied that terrible things will happen to you if you
do not obey and 'be a good girl'.
In many cases this
leads to a pattern of behavior that is unnatural, extremely
limiting and very detrimental to the poor girl in question.
For example, she may be filled with shame and about her
body and bodily functions, she may be unable to talk about
sex, much less ask for what she wants in bed, unable to let go
of control and have an orgasm, she may think that only bad
girls will have a wonderful and fulfilling sex life, and so
if she - despite all odds - happens to enjoy sex she may be
riddled with guilt about it.
And those are just
examples. In many cases the fear based programming goes even
further and deeper than that.
And unless she becomes
aware of what is going on she will have hard time doing
anything about it. The good news is that if she does become
more conscious of her programming she can change it.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How of No
Inhibitions:
Inhibitions Are Based on Conjecture
When you consider your deeper motives for having your
inhibitions, you will notice that they are based on
conjecture.
You inhibit yourself in order to be accepted
and in order to not to be rejected by other people. You limit
your thoughts, words and actions based on a thought much like
this one:
'What will other people think? And how will
they react?'
But do you KNOW what other people are
thinking? No, you don't. Unless you are a mind reader you do
not have that information. You IMAGINE that you do, but really
you don't. You don't KNOW what other people are
thinking, and you also do not know how they feel and how they
will react.
Your imagination is a powerful tool, but
please consider whether it is a good idea to use it to
generate fear based scenarios inside your head. Please just
remember that if fear is involved, your judgement will be
clouded.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and
How of No Inhibitions:
Inhibitions Are Based in
Beliefs
If you refer to the list of typical inhibitions
above (and the above example, too), you will notice that each
and every one of the mentioned inhibitions has its root in
limiting beliefs. Which points to the fact that ...
Almost all inhibitions are based in beliefs.
This makes
them pretty powerful, because beliefs are largely
non-conscious, but still they exert tremendous power over us.
Unless we are very aware and conscious our thoughts, feelings
and actions are largely dictated by our beliefs.
Though
it can be quite a challenge when it comes to core beliefs,
every single belief you have can be changed - or dropped
entirely. (In fact, I strongly urge you to start this process
as soon as possible, as it will set you free in ways and to an
extent that no other thing can!)
Just for the record,
this means that you can change - or completely let go of any
and all inhibitions you desire.
Lose Your
Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
Hardwired Inhibitions?
Now, some people claim that a
few inhibitions (very few) may be cross-cultural (i.e.
'universal') and perhaps even 'hardwired' into us. The
inhibition that makes us not kill each other, for example.
However, we are quite capable of committing murder, so whether
it is hardwired or not is an open question.
Generally
speaking, though, the inhibition against killing each other is
pretty universal across cultures and also an example of an
inhibition that is so useful that it would make sense if it
were actually hardwired into us.
But as far as almost
all other inhibitions are concerned they are definitely
cultural in origin.
The fact that your almost all your
inhibitions are cultural 'learning' means that you can
un-learn them, if you choose to do so.
Lose
Your Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
Most Inhibitions Are Unnecessary
The fact that most
inhibitions are cultural in origin means a) they are not
universal across cultures, and b) they are something we have
been taught (or, at least: something that we have decided to
assimilate into ourselves).
Both a) and b) point to the
fact that most inhibitions are not really necessary.
You don't need your inhibitions. They are redundant and
expendable. Lots of people around the globe (and probably in
your own culture, too) live wonderful lives without the
inhibitions that you have. So, changing them or dropping them
entirely is quite safe, perhaps even a good idea.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
Our Inhibitions Are Actually Going 'Out of Date'
With inhibitions being based in social dynamics it is
important to remember that social dynamics are just that:
dynamic. They evolve and change all the time.
To top
that off, there are indications that the pace in which the
changes are happening is picking up pace - accelerating.
For example, have you tried watching a 'normal' movie
(i.e. not a timeless masterpiece) that was made some 10 to 20
years ago? The age is showing. Not only in the special
effects, but in everything: the pace, the direction, the
language used, the behavior of the characters, the social
dynamics, etc. Things are changing - fast.
That which
was unacceptable 10 years ago (or even 5 years ago) is now
commonplace.
In other words: Our upbringing, including
our inhibitions, is becoming 'out of date' - at an ever faster
rate.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why and How
of No Inhibitions:
Inhibitions Can Be Changed - or
You Can Shed Your Inhibitions Completely
Where am I
going with all this? Well, I am pointing you towards the fact
that most of our inhibitions are non-universal, unnecessary,
and obsolete. Furthermore they can be changed or dropped
entirely.
This is true for inhibitions in all areas of
life, including any and all kinds. Yes, that includes sexual
inhibitions.
Lose Your Inhibitions - the Why
and How of No Inhibitions:
Summary: Why It's Okay
to Lose Your Inhibtions
By now you have some very
important background knowledge that will help you a lot when
you set out to lose your inhibitions:
- Your
inhibitions stem from your trying to fit in and being accepted
- Your inhibitions are your own creation, which means that
... - You have free will and the power to change or lose
your inhibitions - Inhibitions are fear based, and fear
clouds your judgement - Inhibitions are habits, and habits
can be changed - Inhibitions = conjecture; you don't KNOW
other people's thoughts & plans - Inhibitions are belief
based, and beliefs can be changed - or dropped - Much of
our upbringing (incl. our inhibitions) is becoming obsolete
- Almost all inhibitions are non-universal, unnecessary
and expendable - Your inhibitions are cultural 'learning'
that can be un-learnt
Lose Your Inhibitions -
the Why and How of No Inhibitions:
How to Lose Your
Inhibitions
Alright then. By now you know the most
basic facts about inhibitions. So then, what to do? How do you
lose your inhibitions - for real?
Here's a list of
possible ways you can go about it using awareness and
consciousness:
- First, decide that you really want to
lose your inhibitions. Set a very clear intention.
-
You can get far if you raise your general level of
consciousness by doing personal development, self improvement
and perhaps even checking out inner journeys and spirituality.
Inducing consciousness in yourself is a pretty sure fire way
to lose your inhibitions, even if you don't specifically work
at doing that; even more so if you DO set out to lose your
inhibitions - and reading this article is a good start :-)
- Ask your friends and family
what they think your inhibitions are. Jot their comments down.
- Alcohol is basically a poison, but in moderate amounts
it makes you temporarily lose your inhibitions. So, to know
what to work on, you could use a moderate amount of alcohol in
a clinical manner to see what inhibitions go away, compared to
your normal state of being. Of course you can also use alcohol
to gradually change your habits (see the second point below).
- Fake it till you make it. Try doing the exact same
things you would have done under the influence of alcohol -
only without the alcohol. Pretend you have been drinking
alcohol when really you haven't. Try this a party sometime
(where other people have had alcohol, so they won't know the
difference in your case), then gradually expand your
experience to non-party situations.
- Inhibitions are
habits, so use your free will to choose a change in your
pattern of behavior. You will need to make the choice of
change over and over again. It has been said that 21 days in a
row where you do something other than your present habit is
the minimum amount of time it takes to break a habit (and if
you miss even one day, you need to start the 21 day period
over).
- Inhibitions are fear based, so face your fears
to overcome them. Perhaps in one fell swoop, perhaps by
gradually desensitizing yourself to them. Simply put yourself
in the position that you fear. Example: Do you want to lose
your inhibitions regarding public speaking? Then join a
speaker's club. Or something similar, like an amateur drama
group.
- Inhibitions are beliefs, and
letting go
of
beliefs is quite possible. If you like, you can use a
technique like my own
the Let Go Method
to do so.
-
Work with a professional (a counsellor, coach, guide in
consciousness, psychologist, etc.), having the goal to lose
your inhibitions.
So ... go shed inhibitions, lots of
them, the sooner the better! I promise you, you will not
regret it. I wish you all the best in your endeavour.
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