What Does a Character’s Fear of Change Look Like?

As we move closer to releasing The Fear Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to What Holds Characters Back, I wanted to share one of the entries that covers a fear that we will find at the heart of every story we write…and our own lives.

The Fear of Change.

Change is scary. It’s going from what is known to what is not. It’s going from one identity, one set of expectations, or rules to something new.

As I mentioned in this post about how writers and characters fear and resist change, it’s very common to hesitate, make counter-intuitive choices, and self-sabotage progress just to delay the inevitable–that pending change.

Change in inevitable, but this won’t stop characters from fighting it. This entry will give you loads of ideas hot to show the struggle with this fear in your story.

Fear of Change

NOTES: Most people are averse to change at some level, so a certain amount of unease is normal. It only becomes a problem when a person is so determined to keep things the same—because they don’t want to give up control or are afraid of the unknown—that their quality of life goes down, relationships are damaged, and they’re unable to grow and evolve in a healthy manner.

What it looks like

Dismissing new ideas without considering them
Reacting emotionally rather than logically
Immediately poking holes in a proposed action or solution
Humoring people; giving the appearance of considering something new while planning to reject the opportunity
Avoiding making decisions that require change (so the status quo can be protected)
Using outdated sources or ineffective arguments to make a point
Claiming things are fine the way they are
Accusing people of complicating things or not respecting how things are done
Going to extremes to avoid change (manipulating others, lying, lashing out when a change is suggested, etc.)
Clinging tightly to old-school methods, such as resisting technology, ignoring scientific advances, or rejecting new tools
Being sentimental
Loyalty to people, a job, a community, etc.
Inflexibility
Repairing and fixing material objects rather than replacing them
Living in the same home even when it’s falling apart or no longer fits their needs
Sticking close to home; not traveling far or taking long trips
Strife with family members who want to make changes
Resenting others for moving on and leaving the character behind
Being more interested in the past than the future
Trying to discredit the person pushing for change

Common Internal Struggle

Feeling stuck in a situation but being unwilling to evolve
Wanting things to be better but fearing change will make things worse
Feeling overwhelmed by new methods and processes
Feeling isolated because they can’t embrace the changes needed to keep up with others
Feeling selfish for being so unbending but not knowing how to be more flexible
Wanting to go back in time to when things were happier or simpler
Feeling obsolete
Struggling with anxiety or depression

Hindrances and Disruptions to the Character’s Life

Staying in a situation that makes them unhappy or is unhealthy because it’s preferable to facing the unknown
Difficulty making even small changes to a daily routine
Missing out on meaningful activities (a trip with friends, a family reunion, dinner at a friend’s house, etc.) because doing so means leaving their comfort zone
Becoming isolated from others
Difficulty utilizing modern advances because the learning curve is too great
Avoiding people who are always trying to “improve” the character’s life by changing it
Always needing to do things their own way
Becoming less productive because they insist on doing things the old way

Emotional Wounds It Could Stem From:

A Mental Condition, Being Forced to Leave One’s Homeland, Discovering a Partner’s Sexual Orientation Secret, Divorcing One’s Spouse, Experiencing the Death of a Parent as a Child or Youth, Living with a Critical Medical Diagnosis, Losing a Limb

Scenarios that Might Trigger This Fear

New technology or processes at work that must be learned and used
A scenario requiring the character to move (the house being condemned, needing to downsize, etc.)
A spouse having to move into a retirement home, leaving the character on their own
Grown children moving across the country and asking the character to come with them
The culture shifting to embrace ideas the character disagrees with
Being given a new phone, a computer, or some other tool the character isn’t comfortable with but must learn to use
The character’s children wanting to deviate from a long-held tradition
Being physically or mentally unable to do something that was never a problem before

Human Needs that Could Be Impacted

Self-Actualization: A fear of change usually leads to stagnation, with the character not embracing ideas and practices that would improve their life and provide better opportunities.
Love and Belonging: Important relationships can become strained if loved ones are limited by the character’s change-averse choices.
Safety and Security: A character who fears change may stay in an unhealthy relationship or unsafe living environment because they prefer the devil they know to the devil they don’t.

How Can the Character Minimize or Overcome It

Educating themselves; making the unknown known so the change is less scary
Considering what would make them happier and seeing change as a necessary process to get there
Reflecting on changes that have improved society, made life safer, and benefited the character and their family
Viewing change as an opportunity to learn something new and become resilient
Reminding themselves of past life lessons and how the character is better for learning them
Viewing mistakes or failures as a rite of passage to becoming better

I hope you can use this information on a fear of change in your story! And if you want to dive even further into how characters resist change, just follow the link. This new book on fear releases April 15th.

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Source: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2026/02/what-does-a-characters-fear-of-change-look-like/