Fawning is unconsciously moving toward, instead of away from, threatening relationships and situations. It’s overlooked in our society because it’s so largely rewarded. We get promotions for being people pleasers. We’re called selfless when we neglect ourselves. We receive affirmation when we anticipate the needs of others and abandon our own. For many people, particularly for many women, the fawn response is learned in childhood and then reinforced by society; we’re taught that our main role in life is to please, appease, and sacrifice our needs for the comfort of other people. Fawning has
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