I'm looking for a word to describe a person or persons who are comfortable in their state of being or their position in life, who are unwilling or afraid to change for the better or even take a chance. I once read a book with the word in it, but I can't remember what it is.
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Please include your own attempts to research this word. Also...punctuation is your friend! :-) – Kristina Lopez Apr 12 '16 at 17:32
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Would a phrase work? "Comfortable in ones own skin" – Phil Sweet Apr 12 '16 at 17:37
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Is this word positive or negative? You could say that somebody is happy with their situation, or you could say that they're stagnant. Both imply the same lack of change, but one is positive and one is negative. – Kevin Workman Apr 12 '16 at 18:24
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Your description of the person's state seems contradictory. If one is content or fulfilled, one is really not considering change or necessarily wanting to take a chance. There would be little perceived gain. What is it you want to say with this word? – Icy Apr 12 '16 at 21:09
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Perhaps unambitious? A person could develop this attitude as a result of being overly-cautious, fearful, or cowardly (afraid of change) or discouraged or unconfident (believing that he wouldn't be able to change). If the person were unhappy about his situation, he might be resigned (as in resigned to his lot in life) or paralyzed, and might feel stagnant. – Scott - Слава Україні Apr 14 '16 at 05:34
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You might also want to look into The Peter Principle, which states that everybody gets promoted until he ends up in a job that he cannot do. This is referred to as reaching one's level of incompetence. A person might believe (possibly with good reason) that he had reached his highest level of competence, and that further advancement would result in failure. It doesn't seem to offer any single-word suggestions, though. – Scott - Слава Україні Apr 14 '16 at 05:43
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Possibly related: What's a word for someone with low level of knowledge in an area, and no intention of going further? – Scott - Слава Україні Apr 16 '16 at 09:11
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showing smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements (Oxford Dictionaries)
satisfied with a certain level of achievement, good fortune, etc., and not wishing for more (Oxford Dictionaries)
anongoodnurse
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jchung
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Nice answer. I took the liberty of attributing the source (appreciated on the site.) If you want to roll back, please feel free. And welcome to ELU! – anongoodnurse Apr 12 '16 at 19:52
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A "slacker" is a person who avoids work or effort. Synonyms can include goldbrick, shirker, slouch, deadbeat, etc. These are all negative terms. Also, apathetic, blase, indifferent. "Content" or "satisfied" are more positive terms to describe someone happy with what he/or she has--also "fulfilled." A person who is afraid of change is a metathesiophobe. Many people who are not actually phobic about change but still resist it are described as "risk-averse," apprehensive, timid, etc.