Caution

Caution — Individuals doing Caution feel they have to double and triple-check their assumptions and whatever is going on around them to make sure things are what they seem. This keeps them from being fully engaged or present. Usually they are deliberate and unwilling to relax. An aspect of their identity is derived by their need to anticipate and address certain fears. The first goal is to assure their own safety and then to anticipate the safety needs of others as well. What most individuals do not realize is that those with a mode of caution are actually working to address and neutralize their fears. This is distinct from Caution imprinting where individuals do not want to confront or engage their fears consciously.

This Mode can be very supportive to those in physically dangerous careers for it makes them check their safety equipment and focuses them on keeping mistakes to a minimum. By looking before leaping into new situations, they are able to guarantee their survival under the most challenging circumstances. They seek structure and laws to protect them from what they fear. This keeps many from taking risks and doing things that have no safety net. This Mode dramatically increases the odds that people will not be taken advantage of, or cheated. Caution can be a very effective Mode, particularly when in fast-changing times. Currently, approximately 8% have a primary mode of Caution and 20-30% of the world’s population use Caution in some natural way.

Caution imprinted individuals are even more cautious than those with a primary Caution mode. They end up closing most people out of their lives because of their fears that something can go wrong. Usually this distancing occurs because others judge their fears as unfounded. Caution imprinted individuals believe that others can take advantage of them if given “the opening and the opportunity”. Therefore they resolve not to give others any chance for this to occur. While they may express their concerns in tactful or diplomatic ways, when imprinted with a Mode of Caution, people can be phobic, unreasonably fearful, and unable to move or act even when it is in support of their safety. This is because they have no way of measuring or anticipating the degree of danger in any situation. To them all fears operate on the same level of intensity. They become overly fixated and self-absorbed in finding the right solution in the moment and, if they cannot make a choice, they unknowingly let circumstances evolve that can be dangerous.

They overuse the freeze protective mechanism where they “play dead” in the hopes they do not attract unwanted attention. It is ironic that when indecisive about safety, fears make people hyper-aware of their security issues. When in a natural Mode of Caution with Caution imprinting, people are most challenged and reactive to the issues of safety and security. They can actually tempt fate by becoming daredevils where they push the limits in order to find ways to make themselves feel internally safe. While many doing Caution can temporarily experience hopelessness and anxiety around a particular decision, it is only those with Caution imprinting that dwell in these characteristics for extended periods of time. In this way, when imprinted with Caution, people are much more reactive and fearful. Most people with an imprint of Caution have more issues with scarcity and, therefore, tend not to manifest themselves abundantly by trying to hold on to everything they have, fearing that the future will bring them to their knees in some unexpected way. Caution Mode imprinted individuals do not want to be considered difficult, but they can sometimes be so fixated on safety and security issues that others consider them hopelessly phobic. They typically express their concerns outwardly to get feedback from other people before making final decisions.

Primary Focus—To guarantee survival and facilitate difficult choices when they were young. Some individuals remain in this difficult mode because it increases the odds that they won’t be taken advantage of or cheated. Mostly, Security WorldView individuals choose this mode. It supports individuals not jumping into new situations without consideration.
Responsive characteristics— Deliberate, cautious, safe, quick to recognize danger, tactful, diplomatic.
Reactive characteristics—Phobic, unreasonably fearful, unable to move or act, feelings of hopelessness and anxiety.
Number of individuals primarily using this mode: 20%.
Examples: Dan Rather, George Bush, Sr., Robert Redford, James Dean, Vanna White, Howard Hughes, David Letterman, Barbara Bush