Fear Is Just a State of Mind

 

Every person, at one point or another, has been terrified of something. Being afraid can be considered nature’s way of jumpstarting the survival instinct of all earthly creatures. Self-preservation, after all, is the name of the game with fear and phobias.

 

The desire to survive is constant for all life forms. Take lemmings for example. Though it is commonly thought that these small rodents found near the Arctic regions commit mass suicide by jumping from very high cliffs, experts believe that this is only caused by strong biological urges to migrate.

 

Now, the desire to migrate was observed to coincide with high lemming populations. More lemmings means less food and living space. As a result, lemming migration, which sometimes ends in mass death, should be seen as driven by the instinct for self-preservation.

 

There is no doubt that fear is driven by the desire to protect oneself. However, the question is, from what? Indeed, a general list of common fears can be created, yet some people might be terrified to death of things that others actually find comforting. Some phobias, however, are downright absurd.

 

10. Thaasophobia: The Fear of Sitting

 

Sure, there are some instances in which sitting down can actually lead to death. These cases, however, usually involve being strapped in and prepped up for torture, electrocution or lethal injection.

 

Besides, what’s so harmful about taking the time to sit back and relax? Scores of people actually wish they had more time to fall into their lazy boys (provided of course they have one) and forget away the day’s worries. You know that your fear of insects is justified though when you come face to face with the deadliest Insects in the world.

 

9. Sophophobia: The Fear of Learning

 

A particularly strict gym teacher might have made you wish you were back in your mother’s arms.

With every scream and whistle blow, you’d shudder and pray for dear life that you wouldn’t be the next in line for a physical demonstration.

 

However, your gym teacher’s stern approach to gym class might just be necessary for you to learn anything. There’s a chance that you fear your gym teacher not because you feel he’s out for your blood, but because you’re afraid of learning whatever he has to offer.

 

Shudder in fear only when your gym teacher brings a chainsaw to class and begins chasing you around school premises. Otherwise, take every whistle blow and shout as part of that important learning experience.

 

8. Anablephobia: The Fear of Looking Up

 

Imagine you’re having a cup of coffee in that favorite outdoor cafe. While focused on solving the day’s crossword puzzle, someone calls for you from across the street. The normal thing to do would be to put down the newspaper and look towards the direction of the sound. It might be an acquaintance or that long-lost fling of yours.

 

Now, imagine being afraid of looking up. You’re sure that somebody was out there calling your name, but because of your phobia, you’ve missed out on either sharing that cup of coffee with a friend or rekindling the passion with that old flame of yours. Much is to be accomplished by the simple act of looking up. Why fear it? When you live out in the country or close to nature, it really pays to know How To Get Rid Of Snakes.

 

7. Phronemophobia: The Fear of Thinking

 

Not everybody is a genius who can solve complex math problems in the blink of an eye. Not everybody has the intellectual capacity to ruminate over Derrida, Foucault or Nietzsche and actually derive some sense out of it.

 

True, there are some levels of thinking that some people might find too difficult for their tastes. However, doesn’t the blanket fear of thinking sound a bit too absurd? Being afraid to think is like being afraid to choose, to reflect and even to remember. To some extent, every aspect of living has some intellectual component to it. Wouldn’t fearing the act of thinking equate to fearing the act of living?

 

6. Dextraphobia/Levophobia: The Fear of Things at the Right/Left Side of the Body

 

Life dictates that there are many sides to things in this world. An issue or problem often takes on different dimensions, and thus can be viewed from a wide array of perspectives.

 

Forcing everything to be one-sided is like forcing an elephant through a mouse hole – tedious and utterly futile. Besides, what is right (or left) for you will not necessarily be right (or left) for another person.

 

5. Chaetophobia: The Fear of Hair

 

Mammals are the only organisms in the world that have hair. Made from protein and growing from hair follicles found deep within the dermis, hair serves many natural purposes. For some animals, a thick coat of hair keeps much needed warmth in, and excessively freezing temperatures out. Other times, hair is used to attract potential mates and ward away predators.

 

For most people, hair can be a status symbol. In fact, some cultures revere hair as a sign of virility, and sometimes even divinity. Long flowing locks are often favored over short bobs and buzz cuts.

 

Some cultures, however, would view hair in a different light. For proponents of such cultures, excessive hair growth is a symbol of impurity and the mundane.

 

Regardless of the approach, there is nothing to fear about hair. After all, cultures all over the world view the outgrowth of keratin as part of everyday life. True, some people might find it acutely disgusting to see patches of air scattered across the floors of barber shops and salons. This doesn’t mean, however, that anybody should be terrified out of their wits.

 

4. Cibophobia: The Fear of Food

 

Of the many pleasures of man, food is probably the one pleasure with the most available versions. As long as it is edible, any root, fruit, leaf, piece of meat, or combination of any of these is considered food.

 

Besides their obvious nutritional value, food is often an important part of a given culture.

Entire schools have been set up just to pass on the best culinary practices. Elaborate festivals are held yearly as tribute to the experience of gastronomic bliss.

 

Nothing beats an ice cream sundae on a summer day, or a porterhouse steak after a long and tiresome weekend. Likewise, the perfect cocktail can add to the mix for a splendid evening with friends. In this way, food shouldn’t be feared. It should be cherished and revered. Some might even go the extent of loving everything that is edible.

 

3. Hippopotomonstrosesquippededaliophobia: The Fear of Long Words

 

Putting a name to a phobia legitimizes that fear. Since psychologists and experts can readily refer to some “unreasonable and persistent fear” of something, sufferers don’t have to think they’re just a bunch of loony bins.

 

At the same time, by naming the phobia, psychologists and sufferers alike can start with the process of controlling the fear. Isn’t it ironic, though, that the fear of long words is ascribed a name that is, well, really long? Was a pretty sadistic psychologist assigned the duty of naming this phobia?

 

Regardless, sufferers are assured that normal conversations can be carried on without using excessively lengthy words. After all, small talk doesn’t always involve discussions on “transcendentalism” or “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.”

 

2. Panophobia: The Fear of Everything

 

What a dire state to be when you’re paralyzed with the fear of everything. It means that there’s no hope to be found, no recluse from the cold sweats and shivering limbs.

 

Remember, phobias are often directed towards things that are (or are perceived to be) affronts to a person’s survival. Now, given that the mere act of living can be considered part of the set named “everything,” can living ever be considered a threat to a person’s life?

 

There must be something, or some place in this world that a person holds no fear for. Therefore, somebody being diagnosed with such an affliction means something has really gone awry.

 

1. Phobophobia: The Fear of Fear

 

This takes the cake. Imagine - the feared act is the act of being fearful. Possibly, a person afflicted with the phobia has no chance of ever finding some solace. Wouldn’t fearing fear imply that fear is already present? Couldn’t that be considered an example of a proverbial vicious cycle?

 

However, what’s interesting about this is not so much that the phobia implies a perpetual state of being terrified. What’s noteworthy is how such a fear is manifested. Mostly, people with phobias try to avoid whatever it is that fuels their fears. In this case, would having a fear of fear mean a person is actually brave? Wouldn’t a phobophobe go to great lengths to avoid fear? Would that mean he or she is without fear?

 

Living with the Fear

 

All this talk about absurd phobias doesn’t discount that some people are afflicted with such fears. The fact that there are names for these only lays testament to this fact. What is important is that such phobias don’t adversely affect a person’s life. If life still continues on, people can fear anything they want.