Nervous About Taking a Risk? Write a List of Pros and Cons.

The authors found that people can overcome their fear of rejection by considering both the pros and cons of what they want. While past research suggests that people approach a prospect if they think about the positives of achieving it, this research shows that considering the negatives as well provides a powerful boost by making the prospect less threatening.

We risk rejection when we reach a crossroads. We want to ask someone out on a date, for example, or we want to negotiate the terms of a new job. Sometimes the risk of rejection is too great for some people to even try. They let the job opportunity pass by, the raise was not offered. This can have a huge impact on lost opportunities. There is a way to make rejection less scary.