In the early 1900s, Samuel Pierpont Langley — the namesake of Langley Air Force Base — was one of the most respected scientific minds in the United States. 

As the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and a pioneer in aviation, he had funding from the U.S. War Department ($50,000 according to Wikipedia), access to leading engineers, and years of experience in aeronautics research. His project — the Aerodrome — was meant to achieve the first manned, powered flight. 

On October 7, 1903, and again on December 8, Langley attempted public test flights from a houseboat on the Potomac River. Both times, the Aerodrome collapsed into the water almost immediately after launch.

The failures were widely publicized, ridiculed, and scorned in the press. 

Instead of continuing to refine his design, Langley ended the project entirely. 

Just nine days after his final attempt, on December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright — working in near obscurity with a fraction of his budget — successfully flew their Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 

Langley had the resources, the head start, and the expertise, but the fear of another public failure kept him from making the adjustments that might have changed history.

He went on to contribute much —  in many fields — but with the Aerodrome, Langley let failure and criticism stop him. 

Today we might call that self-sabotage. 

Self-sabotage happens when our actions (or inactions) conflict with our goals, values, or well-being, often without full awareness. It’s not usually about laziness or a lack of desire — it’s more like a tug-of-war between what we want and what our brain perceives as safe or familiar.

Common Forms of Self-Sabotage

• Procrastination (especially when the task matters)
• Starting strong and quitting early
• Perfectionism that prevents follow-through
• Picking fights or creating drama just as things are going well
• Undervaluing progress (“It’s not that big of a deal”)
• Avoiding feedback or opportunities out of fear of exposure
• Overcommitting or overworking to avoid sitting with discomfort
  

What’s Usually Underneath It?

• Fear of failure (“What if I try and still fall short?”)
• Fear of success (“What happens if this actually works?”)
• Imposter syndrome (“People must know I have no idea what I’m doing!”)
• Unconscious loyalty to past identity or pain (“People like me aren’t brave, strong, successful, confident, etc.”)
• Desire to stay in control by lowering the stakes (“If I ruin it first, I don’t have to be surprised.”)
  

We can’t go back in time and tell Samuel Langley to keep trying.  But we can make sure we’re not falling into the same trap. 

Brianna Wiest says this, 

“Let’s be clear about something: To put an end to your self-sabotaging behavior absolutely means that change is on the horizon. Your new life is going to cost you your old one. It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direction. It’s going to cost you relationships and friends. It’s going to cost you being liked and understood. It doesn’t matter. The people who are meant for you are going to meet you on the other side. You’re going to build a new comfort zone around the things that actually move you forward. Instead of being liked, you’re going to be loved. Instead of being understood, you’re going to be seen. All you’re going to lose is what was built for a person you no longer are. Remaining attached to your old life is the first and final act of self-sabotage, and releasing it is what we must prepare for to truly be willing to see real change.”

When I work with clients on this very thing, these are some of the questions we tackle:

• What outcome are you most afraid of — failure, success, judgment, change?
• When in the past have you felt safest by playing small?
• What’s the cost of this pattern? What’s the benefit?
• If you trusted yourself fully, what would you do next?
  

I can’t wait to hear how you’re overcoming your own version of self-sabotage. And if you’re ready to get your own flight off the ground, I’d love to help.

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PS If you liked this post – or any others, I’d love you to pass me and my work on to a friend.  They can find out much more about me here if they’re interested!