The Good Boy Trap

Metaphorical Narrative

Picture a long wooden lunch table. You’re starving. Plates are empty, everyone restless. Suddenly a shadow looms. His voice is sharp, slicing through the air: “You’re not being a good boy.”

The room freezes. Your stomach knots. Hunger twists into fear. And just like that, lunch becomes ransom.

The trap is simple: a leash disguised as virtue. “Good boy” isn’t praise. It’s a cage. A cue so sticky it makes even normal signals—like feeling hungry—spin into obedience.

Core Insight

The ego loves to lace real body signals with fake moral codes. Hunger, tiredness, or someone clearing their throat gets hijacked and linked back to the same narrative: “You’ll only be safe if you obey.”

That’s why these moments feel charged. It’s not just the words—it’s the old wiring. Subtle cues re-trigger the script and suddenly you’re six years old again, rehearsing obedience to avoid punishment.

Disassociation isn’t about escape. It’s about cutting the glue. See hunger as just hunger. See raised voices as just sound waves. See “good boy” as just words. No fusion. No ransom.

The moment you disassemble the pairing, the emotional charge loses its grip.

Saturday Experiment

Today, practice breaking the link:

1. Spot a Cue. Notice when hunger, tiredness, or noise triggers the “good boy” feeling.
2. Name It Out Loud. Say: “This is just hunger.” or “This is just sound.”
3. Dethrone the Tag. Add the counter: “Me no good boy. Me no ransom.”

See how your body calms when the cues stand alone instead of chained to the narrative.

Sunday Reflection

Write in third person:

• What subtle cues try to drag them back into the “good boy” script?
• How does their body react before they even notice the thought?
• What happens when they name the cue as neutral—just hunger, just noise?
• How does it feel when the old charge fades and the leash falls away?