STUCK

The Paired Statements for Stuck:

“When things go wrong for reasons I can’t control, I get stuck in negative thoughts
about them. It is really hard for me to accept such situations.”

Figure 1. STUCK espousers

Demographically, females are more likely to espouse Stuck; the 25-44s more likely than the over 65s; and the DEs more likely than the ABs.

Espousers of this Attribute have a coherent set of interlocking Attributes. Within the whole population, 28% is most likely to agree with these statements. Within the 25-44 age range – the core for family rearing - this is 40%.

Stuck espousers are over twice as likely as the population as whole to be Self Critical, which has a corresponding impact on their values system. They tend to feel trapped in a negative feedback loop.

Reinforcing this dynamic is their high ranking of the Searching Attribute. This can be seen as a critical factor in their view of life. They are people who are looking for their life-purpose and feel they are coming up short. They have a feeling that they are trapped by their expectations. They blame themselves for their failure to find their purpose. In a British culture that values individual success and the display of the fruits of success they feel they are not performing up to scratch.

In their profile it is clear that their feelings are more important to them than a hard analysis of facts when it comes judging themselves. Emotions are more important to them – being 48% more likely than others to say they are strongly affected by emotional situations. Having strong emotions, in itself is, not necessarily a bad thing. Being sensitive can be a strong predictor of creativity and strong leadership. But when combined with this range of Attributes it can lead to a different result – something far more negative when considering themselves.

Stuck espousers are more 42% more likely than the rest of the population to agree with the Pessimism Attribute. They think there is an ongoing set of circumstances that are the cause for their feelings of ‘stuckness’. They feel life has dealt them a bad hand - the game of life is balanced against them – and that the future holds little hope. Allied research supports this feeling of negativity about themselves. Out of 118 Attributes measured by CDSM they significantly under-index on Cheerful (115th out of 118) and Optimism (116th out of 118).

This all leads to an overwhelming sense of futility at their current stage of life. Another of the self-reinforcing dynamics that leads to feelings of being stuck is their over-indexing on the Reserved Attribute. They are classic ‘quiet’ people, and not open to sharing their feelings with people they don’t know. Their natural reserve isn’t helpful in breaking their perceived cycle of futility.

These feelings are manifested in their physical world – the way they present themselves to others. They are more than a third more likely than the population to feel disappointed in the clothes they buy - “the clothes don’t suit me”. This is 15% more likely in women espousers of Stuck and 31% more likely among the DEs. “Buyers remorse”- a well known consumer abreaction to their purchases – is likely to be caused by people people feeling ‘stuckness’. The clothes are not the problem. While buying a ‘new look’ does work for the rest of the population, it doesn’t work for Stuck espousers. While buying a new dress or shirt or a pair of shoes may seem like a small thing to most people, it is the small things that make Stuck espousers nervous – as measured by their ranking of the NoSweat Attribute, which is about taking a relaxed approach to life (118th out of 118).

Conclusions:

The Stuck Attribute is measuring a life orientation that is almost fatalistic in its outlook – the past was bad and the future is bleak. The espousers are intimately sensitive in their search for meaning in their lives. They feel emotionally they are coming up short on their own expectations in a culture that believes one is master of one’s own destiny. Their pessimistic view of life extends to the way they feel about ‘small things’ in life, even the clothes they buy and display to others.


Breaking down the general profile of into Maslow Groups:

Maslow group Population (base) % Attribute % Index
Pioneers 37.7 33.9 90
Prospectors 36.8 34.8 95
Settlers 25.5 31.3 122

The Pioneer Group and Prospectors are very similar in terms of the numbers espousing Stuck (less than 1% difference). The smaller Settler group is lower in the total espousers but 22% more likely to espouse Stuck than the population as a whole.


Figure 2. STUCK espousers - Pioneers

The is no significant skew by gender; a positive skew to the under 22s and negative skew to the over 65s; and a large under-index among C2s.

The Pioneers share three of the top six Attributes with the general espouser group – Self Critical, Sensitive and Searching – indicating these Pioneers are still searching for their purpose in life, but feel they are failing in their quest, and it doesn’t feel good.

In contrast to most espousers they do not feel that this is their continuing fate and are not nervous about the small things in life. But they are feeling anxiety about the big things in life. Their version of big things is encapsulated in the remaining three Attributes on which they over index.

They want to live in a world in which people care for one another, beginning with themselves having the time and resource to care for others – taking responsibility for their orientation to life.

In CDSM research this factor is part of a larger cluster in their values system that has been labelled Benevolence. It is driven by Pioneers who are 28% more likely to agree with the cluster statements. By comparison Prospectors are 22% less likely to espouse Benevolence.

The second Attribute on which they over-index, at 54% more than the population, is Justice. Treating others as equals is important to them – as opposed to controlling others and seeking power. It is a driving force for these Stuck espousers. In other words, their desire for a more equal world is not being fulfilled at this time and they feel they need to do more to make it happen, but they are not sure how to do it. They feel that all people need to be treated equally, even those they don’t know. These are the type of people who may become involved in social movements for equality, but never be among the activists – they feel less stress by remaining on the passive fringes.

Justice is also part of a meta-cluster of values, called Universalism, which the Pioneers are 50% more likely than the population to espouse; and the Prospectors are 34% less likely to espouse.

The final Attribute among their top half dozen on which they over-index is also a ‘big thing – the Global Attribute. Pioneers espousing Stuck believe we can learn a lot from other cultures and that they would prefer to live in a multicultural community. The fact that they feel stuck is likely because they are not living a life that is in harmony with their values. At this time, their journey to discovering their purpose in life has not enabled them to actualize their beliefs and they are being strongly self -critical.

Conclusions:

These Pioneers have classic liberal desires and beliefs; for freedom and a better world in which everyone cares about and learns from each other, even those they don’t know and possibly from other cultures. They are ‘stuck’ because of their emotional response to their own self -criticism - effectively beating themselves up for not being true to their own high standards.


Figure 3. STUCK espousers - Prospectors

This Prospector Group is skewed to female and the 25-34s, and under-indexed among the over 55s. There is no differentiation by socio-economic group.

These espousers share three over-indexed Attributes with the general Stuck espousers– Self Critical, Searching and Sensitive – but there the similarities end.

The disquiet these three Attributes bring to the different Maslow Groups is similar, but the focus of the disquiet is very different.

The Prospector espousers of Stuck are ambitious. These are ‘high ambitions’ – to achieve something of lasting value. They are 56% more likely to espouse the Ambitious Attribute than the population as a whole.

Pioneers also over-index on their espousal of Ambitious, to a slightly lesser extent, but the nature of Prospector ambitions are very different.

The core Prospector values can be typified as looking good and displaying symbols of value. In this instance, in brief, they are trying to create a lasting image of themselves as role models for others to follow – to be famous and be remembered as someone special in their own time.

The Prospector Stuck espousers feel they are not achieving these goals. Their values system is stopping them from acting with the drive and enthusiasm they think they ‘should have’. Wanting to gain the esteem of others, they feel they are not succeeding and it is their own fault.

Their search for purpose is framed by their need to look good. They believe that when they look good they feel good. Failing to achieve their image of something of lasting value can make them feel bad. These feelings, in turn, can act as a trigger to do ‘more of the same’ but do it ‘better’. Buying new clothes, changing hair styles, standing out in a group of people are all part of the Stuck Prospector’s way of trying to succeed in becoming someone others admire. Whereas the Pioneers are likely to try something different if their current life strategies are not working, the Prospectors are more likely to continue with their existing strategy - but maximise their efforts.

In their journey through life this approach can work for them – a bit more effort, sticking to their guns – especially when they are not faced with active opposition to their efforts. And looking good is not a very contentious objective in most circumstances.

But another strategy to achieve happiness (feeling good) is to identify, acquire and display symbols of value. The accumulation and display of ‘stuff’ – especially in their homes - is a strategy very often adopted by Prospectors, which is reflected in this profile.

The Stuck espousers are feeling they are not satisfying this aspect of their life. They want things to be cool and desirable to others (looking for the ‘esteem of others’) but feel they are falling short and this is making them feel bad; feeling stuck.

Conclusions:

The Prospector Stuck espousers share the core Stuck values set with all Stuck espousers. But, they have high ambitions to achieve a social profile that inspires the envy of others and a sense of well being in themselves. They currently feel they are not achieving this status in the eyes of others.



Figure 4. STUCK espousers - Settlers

Demographically, there is no differences by age or gender – but it is over-indexed among the DEs and under-indexed in ABs.

Unlike the Pioneer and Prospector profiles, the Settler espousers of Stuck only espouse one of the six core population Attributes – in their case, Self Critical.

They are over twice as likely as the population espouse the Self Critical Attribute. This negative perception of themselves is their core issue. In this they are similar to the Pioneers and Prospectors.

But in respect to their ability to change their situation they are pessimistic – an aspect of the Settler values system as a whole. These Stuck espousers are more than twice as likely as the rest of the population to espouse the Pessimism Attribute.

They feel stuck between the raw deal they’ve had in the past and their dark view of the future.

They see danger in this place of ‘stuckness’. They perceive violence and lawlessness all around them and feel afraid to go out at night in their own neighbourhoods. They are 80% more likely than the UK population to espouse the Afraid Attribute. This is a fear that is largely generated in their own minds, rather than by actual facts. They are 69% more likely to agree that they don’t know many others in their area and that few know them. They would say they hate being a part of crowd. They are cut off from others and life is becoming claustrophobic.

It is not difficult to believe that their reaction to Covid restrictions would be extreme. They are much more likely to go along with any restriction – being 76% more likely than the population to espouse Acquiescence, which is about following the path of least resistance (i.e. least risk, maximum safety). Their high index on Self Critical, more than twice the rate as the population, means that this ‘fitting in with the rules’ does not bring them happiness.

They are very likely to look for someone or something to blame for their continuing misfortunes and their inability to break their cycle of pessimism and fear. They are 73% more likely than the rest of the population to support harsh discipline on those who break laws; those who ‘cause’ them to be frightened. This tough form of retribution for miscreants is matched by their ‘tough love’ approach to raising children. They believe that children should have strict discipline “in their best interest”.

With this attitude to life, they could be a very powerful voice for harsh measures within society in both the penal, educational and social security establishments. But their high index on the Acquiescence Attribute indicates that they are not motivated enough to pursue these avenues. They can’t be bothered to do much more than moan about circumstances to a small group of a friends. When push comes to shove, they tend to just go along with what others think, but maintain ‘their right’ to whinge about it.

Conclusions:

The Settler espousers of Stuck are well and truly stuck. Unable to break out of a negative appraisal of their own self, they tend to acquiesce to others; but because of their bleak view of the future, personal changes are difficult to make. Their stuckness is rooted in their own fears and anger, which tend to self-reinforce due to their ‘apartness’ from their community.