NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS

NEEDY



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Negative Trait Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

Characters with this flaw will be extra sensitive to certain emotions, so think about how events in your story might specifically trigger these feelings to generate compelling tension and conflict. Another idea is to give a supporting character a positive attribute that is an opposite of this flaw, which will get under the skin of both characters and cause friction in their relationship.
DEFINITION:
Emotionally fragile; requiring constant attention and support

SIMILAR FLAWS:
Clingy, dependent

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
Needing human connection
The fear of rejection or abandonment
Poor health
Anxiety disorders
Codependency
Insufficient nurturing or neglect during childhood
Overprotective parents or caregivers
Low self-worth; a need for constant reassurance
Deep insecurity
Loneliness
A traumatizing past event
A debilitating disease (Alzheimer's, etc.)
Immaturity

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES:
Sharing worries and fears with others in an effort to lessen the burden
Seeking frequent reassurance
Over-sharing one's personal history, especially any traumatic events
Asking for advice and opinions before making decisions
Offering compliments
Tying one's own value to others: I've supported Bill all the way, and look at him now!
Frequent phoning and texting
Feeling overwhelmed if the subject of one's clinginess isn't around
...

ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS:
...

ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:
...

POSITIVE ASPECTS:
...

NEGATIVE ASPECTS:
...

EXAMPLE FROM FILM:
...

OVERCOMING THIS TRAIT AS A MAJOR FLAW:
...

TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:
...