![Twitter avatar for @rachelclif](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/rachelclif.jpg)
Fawning isn't just a trauma response.
It's a trauma response that's rooted in-- and relies on-- shame.
That's why it's so persistent. And pervasive.
We fawn for the same reason that we victimise ourselves: we believe it's who & what we are.
![Twitter avatar for @rachelclif](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/rachelclif.jpg)
When you don't have to face [up to] your own personal responsibility, you’re also protected from pain-- to at least some degree.
At the expense of life.
At the expense of joy.
At the expense of aliveness.
And, all these things can be deeply confronting.