The Phases Of Denial In A Job Search

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote in her book, On Death and Dying, her observations of the phases individuals go through when confronted with the news that they are dying. Sometimes, when we are first let go or no activity is occurring in the job search or we are recently turned down for that exciting opportunity that we were so excited about, we may feel the same way.

The phases are:

1.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

2.     Anger – “Why is this happening to me? It’s not fair!”

3.     Bargaining – “I’ll go to church every Sunday if…”

4.     Depression – “I don’t care anymore. I’m going to die anyway, what’s the point in trying.”

5.     Acceptance – “I can’t fight it, it will be okay; I’m ready.”

One of my financial advisors, Doug Casey, recently wrote in a daily dispatch (www.caseyresearch.com) that the average investor will go through the following five phases as our current economic crisis unfolds:

1.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

2.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

3.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

4.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

5.     Denial – “This can’t be happening.”

Whichever response you may be having, we appear to be in a unique time when traditional methods are no longer working.

I heard that Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.”

Are you finding yourself fitting one of these descriptions? What are you doing about it?