Dramatica Definition: Avoid

Avoid• [Element] dyn.pr. Pursuit<–>Avoid • stepping around, preventing or escaping from a problem • Like its counterpart Pursue, the Avoid characteristic causes a character to be a real self-starter. The difference is that just as strongly as Pursuit tries to close in on the something, Avoid tries to escape it. Avoid can take the forms “escape” or “prevent” depending upon whether the focus of the effort is an object or a process. Avoid might be seen as running away, but that has its place. And certainly, when seen as “prevent” it might be applied to stopping something very negative from happening. Of course, it could also prevent something positive or really just be running away from something that should be faced. Pursue and Avoid are not value judgments but directions. • syn. evade, dodge, elude, escape, steer clear of, prevent