Repetition compulsion is when we keep getting the same outcome that we never asked for. It seems no matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, we’re right back where we were before. For some, we end up in the same toxic relationships. For others, we keep encountering setbacks each time we try to get ahead. The more this happens, the less we feel we are in control of our lives. It’s as though Fate itself has assigned us a life theme – and woe to those who want a different one! How else can we explain the unfortunate series of events that keep “proving” that there is nothing we can do to change it?
Well, the good news is, fate is not the one pushing us around. The bad news is, it’s the matrix of our inner world that’s causing it. It only feels like fate due to how it influences our perception and our choices. Repetition compulsion is action-based and outer-directed. It’s the the external result of our inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.
Here is a great quote. (Who am I kidding? It’s my favorite quote!) Not only does Jung sum up the power of repetition compulsion, but he offers us a solution in a single statement:
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Carl Jung
So, Carl Jung is telling us where we need to start. “Make the unconscious conscious.” But what does that mean? We need to get curious about ourselves in a way that challenges our inner matrix. Root out the perceptions we have of ourselves and our place in the world. And then develop an understanding of how this influences the daily choices we take for granted but ultimately lead us to the same ending.
Repetition Compulsion: The Great Conundrum
Our perception of ourselves determines our self-worth (identity). Self-worth determines what we do, how we see the world, and how we respond to it. Our perception of the world and how it responds to us determines our self-worth. Thus, how the circuitry between our relationship with ourselves and the world feeds a constant loop.
As negativity enters the loop, it delivers blows to our confidence and self-esteem. Without a secure foundation in place, we are less likely to recover and when we don’t recover, we start developing negative beliefs. This impacts our outlook over time. Instead of seeing a world of abundance, we see a world of danger and pitfalls. So, we develop coping strategies for navigating this cruel world. This causes us to see fewer options, because some feel more like threats than solutions. This process is what leads us down the path of creating the same outcome we know as repetition compulsion. And oh, what a bugbear it is, because each time we get the same outcome, it “confirms” all our negative beliefs. They get that much more hard-wired into our programming, which makes it that much more difficult to challenge those negative beliefs.
Repetition compulsion is how we manifest our beliefs. Each small thing leads us towards the next bigger event after that. And until we take Carl Jung’s advice and make the unconscious conscious, we will stay trapped in this hamster wheel that we call fate.
How Ongoing Problems Can Trap Us in the Hamster Wheel
Let’s use a couple of terms from Trauma Glossary 2 for examples: Social Anxiety (which is sub-listed under Anxiety) and Impostor Syndrome.
Social Anxiety: “The world is cruel and uncaring” is their belief. So, they create a safe bubble for themselves and few, if any, are allowed in. If they’re approached by a well-meaning extrovert, they will use every defense to shut down the conversation as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this is how those with social anxiety are often mistaken for snobs. This becomes one more negative experience that “confirms” their belief that the world is cruel and uncaring.
Impostor Syndrome: “I’m not good enough” is their belief. They cope by self-improvement but they keep moving goal posts on themselves, which keeps them stuck in the belief that they aren’t good enough. If their boss, who sees their value, presents them with an opportunity to lead an important project, the one with impostor syndrome is more inclined to suggest they give it to someone else. This is how they’re less inclined to live up to their full potential in the world, because they are too preoccupied with feeling good enough internally.
If you want one more example, look up Negative Noticing in that same Trauma Glossary. The definition, alone explains how it develops and then manifests its beliefs over and over again. I should know, as I spent many years trapped in that hamster wheel.
The Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect is a chaos theory that became popular in the rise of science fiction, particularly time travel. The theory is that one small change has the power to impact a major change in the future. So, as time travel became a popular “What if?” discussion, people used the butterfly effect as a theory on what might happen if we could travel to the past and interact with that environment. If we “stepped on a butterfly” while there, it could cause a ripple effect in such a way as the present life we know today would completely change.
Do you see where I’m going with this? Every small action leads us down a certain path to the big outcome. So, once we heed Carl Jung’s advice and make the unconscious conscious, we can proceed to the next step. If we make one tiny change we will create new outcomes and then we can finally escape that hamster wheel.
Step on a Butterfly!
Not literally, of course. But figuratively, find one thing you’re willing to do that’s different from your usual routine. I’m pleased to remind you, dear reader, that we have two master toolboxes on this site. Master Toolbox 1 lists tools for most of the problems listed in Trauma Glossary 2, including tools for social anxiety and negative noticing. Any number of them counts towards making a small change. Master Toolbox 2 lists tools for opening our neuropathways. Each time we try something new, we are opening new pathways. And, in so doing, we are opening our mind to accepting new information.
This article is the conclusion of a four-week series that addresses our inner matrix because repetition compulsion is simply the end result. The first in the series addressed cognitive bias and it went more in depth on Impostor Syndrome by comparing it to the Dunning-Kruger Effect. The second one explored cognitive dissonance (Trauma Glossary 1) and why we have a hard time digesting new information. That article is here. Last week addressed transference (Trauma Glossary 2) and how it causes us to make assumptions based on past experiences. And that article is here. Each article wrapped up with additional ways we can work through these problems.
Whatever tool or resource you choose, be patient with yourself. Understand that our beliefs did not develop overnight, so we cannot change them overnight. There will be setbacks along the way, but if we’re patient with ourselves and trust the process, we will end up with improved outcomes.