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What is the word (if there is one) for the fear of being first?

Question #121633. Asked by metsfan1001.
Last updated Jun 22 2021.

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alaspooryoric star
Answer has 0 votes
alaspooryoric star
16 year member
101 replies avatar

Answer has 0 votes.
I looked through this entire list and found no such label for the fear of being first:

phobia-fear-release.com/phobia-dictionary.html
no longer exists

However, I'm certain one could make up the name with the Greek for "being first" or "first" or something like that and then adding that name to "phobia."

Response last updated by gtho4 on Jun 22 2021.
May 29 2011, 3:39 PM
metsfan1001
Answer has 6 votes
Currently Best Answer
metsfan1001
14 year member
22 replies

Answer has 6 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
There isn't one, though we can make such a word with Greek or Latin.

I went on Google Translate and translated "first" to Greek (phonetically, of course) and I came out with "proti", so maybe the fear of being first could be "protophobia".
link https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/proto-#Etymology

I also tried Latin, and got "primum", so it could also be, say, "primuphobia" or "primophobia".
link https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/primus

Response last updated by nautilator on Sep 01 2016.
May 29 2011, 4:05 PM
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satguru star
Answer has 1 vote
satguru star
Moderator
21 year member
1246 replies avatar

Answer has 1 vote.
Fear of success or winning is a common problem therapists (like me) come across. The main driver is that it won't last so it's probably not worth getting in the first place, and should respond to cognitive therapy once the source thoughts are dealt with. I haven't found a name as yet but fear of success is a recognised phobia with plenty of analysis and treatment available, and is particularly relevant in sports psychology where many players choke on the verge of winning (especially British apparently...)

link https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/somatic-psychology/201101/fear-success

Response last updated by nautilator on Sep 01 2016.
May 30 2011, 12:35 PM
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