It is my experience with threat-based individuals – complex PTSD – that despite a need or a desire for change, there is perhaps a stronger attachment to familiar landmarks, which brings us to an important, philosophical point.
When we begin to visualize, and we look at the qualia in our mind, we first see it in its ideal form. The longer we attempt to visualize, the less perfect it becomes. The perfect hexagon, for instance, that pops into our mind soon morphs into a variety of different hexagons, perhaps of different colors, or different sizes or textures.
“Normal” is one of those ideals. The reward-based individual does not dwell on “normal” enough for it to morph, while the threat-based individual does. “Normal,” then, becomes harder to get a grip on, harder to trust – harder to put one’s faith in.