Psychologists say that some of us are drawn to behavior we fear because the experience creates an exhilarating rush in a safe, controlled environment, allowing us to feel the excitement in a fight-or-flight response without actually being in danger, leading to feelings of euphoria, heightened alertness and a sense of mastery. Or I may be trapped in what Freud recognized as repetition compulsion—a concept he coined—an unconscious tendency to repeat past, often traumatic, experiences and behaviors relived in the present. Freud claimed sufferers may be trying to master or resolve unresolved trauma experienced earlier in their lives by going through similar situations in the present, even if painful or unsatisfied. I am drawn to technology for its exciting, innovative possibilities but unnerved by fear of my tech inadequacy.
