Fears

[zefvonee]

Didn't seem that there was a thread on this yet...

I was chatting with some friends, and the subject of fears came up. So I was just wondering what fears everyone has. Rational or irrational.

I'll start it off with my fears. The two biggest I have are heights and ovens. I'm scared that whenever I put something in or take something out of the oven, my arm will spontaneously combust and catch me on fire. I know it's nearly impossible, but I still have that fear. Two other not-so-big ones are being along and the dark. I think those come from all the horror stories I've read and generally creepy movies I've watched. Again, I realize that they were just books and movies, but I can't help but think if I'm in the dark too long, something is gonna grab me. This last one, I'm not sure if it's a small fear or a small bit of OCD-ness, but germs. Whenever I go into public places, if people I don't know have touched things, I try to avoid touching them. I'll slide my hand into my sleeve to open doors or grab things. Or maybe I'm just weird.

So, how about it? What's everyone afraid of?

[Don Alexander]

Heights.

I wrote about that somehwere...

Not much else, I think.

[cyanide_sweet]

I'm pretty fearles... like I do a lot of things without concern for myself... I'm that person who always takes dares like "Hey if I give you $5 will you climb that tree? Or drink tabasco sauce?"

But I am terrified of spiders... like I can't even handle seeing a tiny one.
And I don't like surprises... I like scary movies, but when someone jumps out I totally scream

[Dirty n Evil]

I have two fears, really. I'm afraid of being alone, and I'm afraid of not being alive.

Now, not being alive doesn't mean I'm afraid of dying - quite the opposite. In my head, I've oddly been fascinated with the "if there is someone who might have to do something that ends up getting them killed, but saves everyone else... could I do it?" scenario. And I'm pretty sure I could. Dying isn't so scary to me. It's the idea that I might no longer be conscious in any form afterwards. That "Chris" as he exists now would no longer continue to be. I've truly come to realize just how short life is for any of us, and I hope that after it's done the person that I was doesn't just turn off, light a light switch. I'm terrified of not existing.

Being alone... that's more of "the longer I'm not with someone, the more likely it is I'll not have someone with me as I get older" fear. I've never been very good being single, and at my current stretch of three and a half years I've more or less felt a bit like I'm drifting closer and closer to "I'll never find somebody" pile. It's not a good thing.

[Don Alexander]

I understand both of your fears well. Though I have come to realize that the bright side of not existing any more is that I won't be there to bemoan it...

So I'm much more afraid of dying, but it's not soemthing I dwell on too much. Similar to your other fear. I've not yet given up the ghost...

[Mythiene]

I’m a general coward, so you might say my worst fear is summed up as being pain. I’m allergic to it, or something. I don’t like doing anything that could potentially hurt. I’m scared of things like acupuncture or surgery or needles, putting my hands near an oven, so on and so forth... and I don’t take dares, ever.

Let’s see... I am also terrified of bugs. I don’t even like butterflies, but spiders and bees are the worst.

I used to have a fear of heights, but I’m working on getting over that. I’ve learned to enjoy roller coasters, for one thing. But being at the top of a tower, for example, gives me severe vertigo, and so I’ve encountered bumps on the road to conquering my fear.

Lastly, I have a huge phobia related to being judged. (Yes, I’m serious.) I generally hide myself away and don’t go out in public because of this. I had to be pulled out of school for stress and anxiety related to being around my peers and the social interactions with them. Et cetera...

[Pneumonica]

I don't usually react to fear the same way that other people do. Concern for my safety is one thing, but I don't really recoil from things I'm afraid of. For instance, I'm insectophobic and rodentophobic - and yet rats, spiders, scorpions, and sugar gliders (technically marsupials) are on my list of favored pets. I also have a fear of heights, but I had fun the one time I went indoor rock climbing. One thing that I haven't indulged in is water - as I've said before and as a few people on this forum are fiercely aware, I'm afraid of immersion in water. Then again, I'd take hot baths once in a while if I had a reasonably-sized tub and didn't have to wear an insulin pump.

[Morwen]

no known phobias for me... but when i get scared, claws come out...

[Asaryu]

I am afraid of having no control over strangers touching me.

[Morwen]

*wiggles fingers at Asaryu*

[Asaryu]

I'm pretty sure if I ask you not to do it, you'll oblige, and you're not a stranger.

Once the touching happens, I'm fine. It's the potential for unsolicited stranger-touching that worries me. It freaks me out and I hide under a table.

[cyanide_sweet]

for T2B

I agree... spiders are horrible

[Mythiene]

I don’t think your fears are childish at all, Teacher. I used to have some rather strange fears myself: I was once afraid of public restrooms. I’m... I don’t think I’ll explain that one, but it is true. Werewolves aren’t a strange fear; it actually makes sense, in a way. I know most would be frightened of werewolves if they were real, and so it’s understandable that the possibility or the thought scares you, particularly with you having seen those movies as a kid.

[Ithilion]

if werewolves were real, it would be natural for anyone to be afraid of them, but i believe the thread is about phobias and such... fears that may not be entirely rational or so powerful they can stop you dead in your tracks... i only have two of those... acrophobia (afraid of heights as long as there is nothing to hold on to) and fear of being alone... in the sense of being around people that cannot understand me

[NightCrystal]

This actuly made me stop and think. I'm not scared of much, never really have been. There are 3 things that I am scared of though.

The first is deep water. When I was little I fell in the deep end of my aunts pool. All I remember is looking up at the way the world was distorted by the the waves in the water, the slowly everything fading to back. I don't know how long I was under, I woke up an hour or so later and came down stairs asking for ice cream. My mom never really talks about what happened that day so yeah.

Next if my fear of heights, I am absolutely terrified of them. I start hyperventilating and I can't move, after I few mins I start to panic witch just makes things worse. People have finally learned to stop asking me to do stuff that involves me climbing a ladder.

The last one is dieing. I'm not afraid of death, just dieing.