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We all carry about irrational fears, so what's yours? I'm not talking about the things that make sense like dying or losing your job or loved ones. I'm talking about the one where you know better, and still it bugs you.

For me, it's ghosts. I completely do not believe in ghosts and have never seen one shred of evidence that makes me think otherwise. Still, if I've seen the right movie or played the wrong game, I will give myself a major case of the wiggums once night falls.

I have a horrible fear of sliding down a narrow space into water. Think Luke Skywalker at the end of Empire Strike Back ... except instead of falling out of Cloud City ... drowning.

Getting a paper cut on my eye from turning the page of the newspaper.

I don't know if you would count this but I have a terrible fear that I am wrong when I am working on something I know what I am doing but I always have a nagging fear that I forgot something or that I missed something. It often holds me back from sharing certain things because I feel what if it's wrong? I know failure is part of life but I hate the idea that I failed because my data was wrong or because i forgot something. And for the post part my fear is unfounded I am smart and I have a great memory. I am constantly being told I could do whatever I want but I always have a nagging fear that I will make a mistake. Even when I am learning something I can't stand being wrong I usually will study something for awhile before mentioning it because I don't want to say something that's wrong. The worst part is I know that I can do whatever I need to but I can still never get rid of the nagging feeling of doom/failure hanging around my shoulders. It feels like if I don’t keep triple checking all of my work I will miss something and failure will be right there staring at me. I can't start to say how many things I have started and scrapped because I felt that I must have overlooked something about it.

Trident gum.

Whenever I'm in public and get the urge to nod off, I always put my head forward, never back.

I get filled with an awful sense of dread that someone is going to come up and slit my throat if I leave it exposed.

Needles.

Landing planes. I dislike flying, I don't have a fear, I just don't like it. When you're in the air it's quite lovely, like a train ride in the sky. Unfortunately you have to land, which is another way of saying the pilot feels the need to hurdle the plane toward the ground at an extremely high speed, and then graze the side of the earth with the wheels while decelerating (accelerating at a negative rate for you physics nerds) an an extremely rapid rate. Tell me again why I should feel safe when those seat-belt lights come on?

George Bush. He's stupid.

Being discovered as a complete fraud and faking my way through my job.

Which isn't true, however that fear always follows me regardless.

Covar said:

Needles.

Landing planes. I dislike flying, I don't have a fear, I just don't like it. When you're in the air it's quite lovely, like a train ride in the sky. Unfortunately you have to land, which is another way of saying the pilot feels the need to hurdle the plane toward the ground at an extremely high speed, and then graze the side of the earth with the wheels while decelerating (accelerating at a negative rate for you physics nerds) an an extremely rapid rate. Tell me again why I should feel safe when those seat-belt lights come on?

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I hate taking off. I spend a few minutes begging the powers that be to please let us level off soon.

Elevators in tall buildings. It mostly shows up in dreams, but enough that I get the willies when I step onto one (which is not all that often, really).

Gutters on rooftops. Not getting up there to clean them, but the gutters themselves, like they'll break and swing down and slice me with jagged fast falling edges.

Zombies.

North_Ranger said:

Zombies.

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This.

Pedicurists.

Clowns and flying

I also fear that someone is going to break into my house and stab me in the back in my sleep. Not steal my stuff... just stab me and leave. It makes me laugh when I think about it. I think it's some freaky recurring dream I had as a kid or something.

I am scared of small spaces. I have a hard time sitting in the backseat of a 2 door car or in the backseat of a minivan. Pretty much anything that doesn't have an immediate exit point, I get a little worked up. I don't like planes for that same reason, but I can deal with that.
I'm okay in elevators, but not tightly packed crowds.

---------- Post added at 05:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:05 PM ----------

Cajungal said:

I also fear that someone is going to break into my house and stab me in the back in my sleep. Not steal my stuff... just stab me and leave. It makes me laugh when I think about it. I think it's some freaky recurring dream I had as a kid or something.

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Oh shii..

I just about wrote that I am afraid of being attacked in my sleep! I thought folks would think that's silly.

I am also worried that someone will attack me from behind in a movie theater.

I'm that asshole who won't sit with his back to the door of a restaurant.

It's not really a stupid fear as it's so common, but my only real fear is a heights. And even that I can conquer readily enough, but it's there, and worse than it really should be.

Gruebeard said:

It's not really a stupid fear as it's so common, but my only real fear is a heights. And even that I can conquer readily enough, but it's there, and worse than it really should be.

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I'm not afraid of heights, but I have a fear that I'll give into my fear of wanting to jump off of heights...

Avoid Niagara Falls then. That water is just taunting you to leap in. It's a weird, hypnotic feeling.

That I won't develop socially and be a thirty year old living with his parents.

I'm not afraid of spiders at all. I'll flail at a bug that flies into my ear or something, but have no problem dealing with big spiders that wind up in my bedsheets or in my room, don't even hugely care when I walk through a web - even if the spider was hanging out on the web it can't do more than give me an itch...

However, in my dreams, I'm terrified of 'em. Even dreams that are completely unrelated will often get hijacked by me seeing one danging from the ceiling at me or something, and I'll wake up in a huff and flailing and feel paranoid about them for a minute or two.

So, my only big irrational fear goes away when I'm awake. I hate the subconscious.

I really can't think of anything STUPID that I'm afraid of. Most of my fears are pretty rational, I think.

What I'm most afraid of is other people. There's only one person I know whom I really trust. Everyone else I'm faking it, just as I'm sure they are faking their sincerity.

But my friend is scared of buttons. Not like election buttons with the sharp pins. Like shirt buttons. But only if they aren't sewn onto anything. Freaks them out.

As every time a "fear post" appears, I have to say I'm terribly scared of animals getting inside me, by any bodily orifice or just burrowing through the meat. Mostly bugs, but also mice and other small animals.

There's also stuff that only scares me just before I go to bed. For example, I can't think of Eraserhead before bed if I don't want to be really scared afterwards of the creature in that film. Also, Salad Fingers. I can imagine him coming by my bed and brutally attacking me with his terrible hands with a happy maniac face in one psycothic outburst.

EDIT: Just right noe, I have come back home and I've seen some guy hiding on the entrance of my building. I called the police, and we found nothing. I came back to my flat to see, through the stair-hole, a man sitting some flats below mine. I call the police again...

I was more scared, both times they came, by the possibility that I didn't really see men and I was going to look dumb on the eyes of the police than I was cared of the actual intruder.

(There finally WAS a man. A really really drunk man that lives two flats below mine and tried to get some sleep on the entrance of the building and then tried to get home, couldn't find the keyhole and decided to sit down on the stairs...)

hat's the stupidest thing you're afraid of?

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me

Barack Obama.

I have generalized anxiety. My life is full of NOTHING BUT Irrational fears. I know they are irrational... I've had therapy to help me deal with them. That doesn't stop my brain from sending intense fear signals to my body during the stupidest things.

Something that's always in the back of my head in an elevator is not only that it could fall during the ride, but it would really suck if it fell as I was exiting. It would probably cut me in two, and maybe even do it the long ways.

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

example:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMlyqZszCyU[/ame]

when the camera guy looks over, especially the 2nd time and the camera goes past the ground. I have to hold onto something.


Sometimes, at night while I walk around, I realize that if someone just drove by and shot me, not only would there not be a damn thing I could do about but they would probably get away with it too.

Centipedes. Just thinking about them makes me wanna piss my pants.

Nothing should have more legs than a spider. THERE SHOULD BE A LAW.

I fear there may be gypsies in this neighborhood to prey on my children.

what about the eyes?

Dying alone

I fear mankind's stupidity and how it's impossible to overestimate it because it always catches you by surprise. Each day brings at least half a dozen new examples which makes me wonder what the F we're doing.

Jake said:

Elevators in tall buildings. It mostly shows up in dreams, but enough that I get the willies when I step onto one (which is not all that often, really).

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Similar but mine is elevators with a glass enclosure so that you can see out of them *shudder* even if it's only 4 stories as I found out the other day

Adammon said:

Being discovered as a complete fraud and faking my way through my job.

Which isn't true, however that fear always follows me regardless.

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I hear you on this one, brother.

It's helped along a good deal by a rough experience at a previous company where I got blamed for the previous guy actually being a complete fraud and faking his way through his job, including "teaching" me how to do financials that were actually completely inaccurate. I found the errors after he left, but the guys I was working for decided that it was my fault for not catching it earlier.

Knowing that they were blaming me for circumstances that had been in place for literally years before I showed up helped solidify my desire to just leave, but it's made me paranoid ever since.

TwoBit said:

Centipedes. Just thinking about them makes me wanna piss my pants.

Nothing should have more legs than a spider. THERE SHOULD BE A LAW.

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I was gonna say this too.

Them and Pillbugs.

Oh god.. Pillbugs.

Pillbugs?

Cheesy1 said:

Pillbugs?

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But look at the way he's cradling it! Like a spiky little baby.

I bet that thing wouldn't taste half bad.

My fear of things is directly related to the number of legs that they have. Snakes? Aww. Humans? I guess they could stab me if they wanted to. Cats? Those suckers have claws. Ants? Eh, keep it over there. Spiders? HOLY SHIT KEEP IT AWAY! Centipedes and above? I'm glad I live in a country where those are really uncommon.

I also have a really terrible fear about heights when it's something I can't control. Like, if I'm the one on the heights, I'm fine. But one time a friend leaned against a stairwell banister at school and I began to have vivid ideas of the thing breaking and him falling. I knew I would be smart enough to avoid it, but I wasn't so sure about him. I had to leave to avoid the embarrassment of saying something.

I too am afraid of zombies. But it's more the Zombies from '28 Days Later' type zombie or 'Rage Zombies' that I am more terrified just because they seem to be more intelligent and much more of a threat.
While they don't really scare me I do think that Clowns are really really creepy, I don't know why, I just don't like them, they. Make me uncomfortable I suppose.
I actually just heard how L4D2 will have new 'Uncommon' common infected that are different depending on what location you are in and one of them is a Rage Zombie Clown whos feet squeek attracting more regular infected. Fuck you valve!

Cheesy1 said:

Pillbugs?

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SPAWN MOAR OVERLORDS!!!

And yes, those things ARE eaten in parts of the world.

phil said:

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

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Never visit the Sears Tower

drifter;261360][quote=phil said:

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

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Never visit the Sears Tower

[/QUOTE]

I don't know if I could do that. Maybe if I gave myself some time to psych myself up for it. It would be like when I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and had to just chill in the middle for a bit before getting the nerve to look over the edge. Funnily enough though, that wasn't what made me feel the worst about it. It was things like the guy holding his camera over the edge, or seeing the rods outside the cage at the top shake in the wind a little. Also when the floor flattened out a little when I stepped on it and made me think I was falling for a 1/2 second.

drifter;261360][quote=phil said:

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

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Never visit the Sears Tower

[/QUOTE]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...

on a more serious note, I have an undeniable fear that I'm being watched from beyond the grave.

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only when you're in the shower.

Ffffff Pillbugs..

People actually taking Creationists seriously, that is to say human idiocy.

Oh wait, that's not an irrational fear, is it?

Frak...

North_Ranger said:

People actually taking Creationists seriously, that is to say human idiocy.

Oh wait, that's not an irrational fear, is it?

Click to expand...

If only it was...

Spiders - I can crush them.

Having people in my house - This is a weird one that I can't explain.

Answering the phone - What could possibly go wrong. Honestly.

I'm a fucked-up person.

Motherfucking ocean waves and me being at the bottom of one as it breaks.

I'm talking about giant ones. Like 30-80 ft swells. It's irrational because I don't surf nor live anywhere near a beach, nor would I ever go into choppy sea water.

I am a very clumsy person who has to watch EVERY step I make as to not trip and fall. Stairs are a problem. Every time I go downstairs in my apartment, I play a scene in my head (different every time) where I tumble to my death. This always happens before I take my first descending step.

Also, even though I have been getting better at this, I have a huge fear of pulling a boss or impossible group of mobs before the tank does in instances in WoW. Thank god the tank I usually group with is playing no more than 3 feet behind me!

Spiders and creepy crawlies in general. I'm immeasurably bigger than they are. They cannot possibly hurt me. I am nonetheless creeped the fuck out.

Tall things. Skyscrapers are the worst. I get incredibly uncomfortable and sometimes try to cover my head. It becomes almost physically impossible to look up. There is no problem if there is a window between me and the tall thing. Driving around a city is perfectly fine, but the second I step out of the car I am terrified.

I have no idea why I have this.

HowDroll;261125][quote=North_Ranger said:

Zombies.

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This.[/QUOTE]

Same here. Seriously people, there is no escape from zombies. I dream about once a month about this.

Also, a general, irrational fear of horror movies. I can't watch them b/c I know I'll freak out afterwards. I'm always afraid I be in a social situation involving scary movies in which I will be humiliated.

Being wrapped up. Like in a blanket or bed sheet. I freak out even if it's easy to get out of.

For whatever reason, wasps. I love insects, especially honeybees, but wasps of all kinds just put me on edge. I've gotten a lot better about it, but matters weren't helped much by going to Japan and having to deal with these fuckers:

That is a very smart thing to be scared of. D:

Mosquitoes, bees, and anything else with stingers/suckers/whatever the fuck they have that like to make me their bitch in all times of the year that are not winter.

Going outside and coming back in two hours later with 20 mosquito bites is not fun at all. I'll show them when I figure out how not to exhale.

Enresshou said:

For whatever reason, wasps. I love insects, especially honeybees, but wasps of all kinds just put me on edge. I've gotten a lot better about it, but matters weren't helped much by going to Japan and having to deal with these fuckers:

Spoiler

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WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!

AshburnerX;261354][quote=Cheesy1 said:

Pillbugs?

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SPAWN MOAR OVERLORDS!!!

And yes, those things ARE eaten in parts of the world.[/QUOTE]

They probably taste like lobster.

Going bald

Shallow but unclear water. I love swimming, I like to go scuba diving, I don't mind water so deep you can't see the bottom. The only type of water I'm actually scared of is the type of muddy shallow brooks or rivers; like half a meter or so deep. I absolutely friggin' hate that sort of water - and all kinds of nature amusement parks tend to have that under a lot of the things you can fall off of or stuff. Gah! For some reason, I'm scared that I'll end up without the ability to tell up from down and I'll suffocate in the mud, or something. Don't ask me why

People that take FOX News seriously...

JCM said:

Going bald

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Funny you should mention that, I saw someone at a Subway yesterday, here in Taipei, who looked a lot like you. I actually considered going up to the guy and asking if he's JCM from Halforums.

The person was going slightly bald at the top, and his hairline was receding a bit too.

You're not in Taipei are you?

I'm afraid about *other* people in high places. I don't have any problems running along cliff edges, or goofing off near giant drop-offs, but the minute someone else approaches the edge I freak the fuck out. I just have this fear of the person falling and me not being able to do a thing about it.

I also have a fear that the angry, tyrannical God of the bible does exist.

I have a fear of deep water. I don't like thinking about being above the 'ground' (sea floor)

If I'm swimming in like ... a 12 foot pool, sometimes I just wonder "What would happen now if the water all disappeared? I'd fall 12 feet and break a leg!"

Same for traveling via boat. "Oh, the seafloor is 400m down? Well, won't we all be fucked if the water just disappears?"

Silver Jelly;262169][quote=Enresshou said:

For whatever reason, wasps. I love insects, especially honeybees, but wasps of all kinds just put me on edge. I've gotten a lot better about it, but matters weren't helped much by going to Japan and having to deal with these fuckers:

Spoiler

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WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?![/quote]

That is an asian giant hornet. The less you know about them, the better for your sanity.

Silver Jelly;261410][quote=drifter;261360][quote=phil said:

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

Click to expand...

Never visit the Sears Tower

[/QUOTE]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...[/QUOTE]

That would be awesome to visit. I'd just casually walk up to people, smile, then stomp down hard on the floor next to them.

Shegokigo;262468][quote=Silver Jelly;261410][quote=drifter;261360][quote=phil said:

I also really don't like heights. I can hardly even watch high places on television without kinda getting a little uneasy.

Click to expand...

Never visit the Sears Tower

[/quote]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...[/quote]

That would be awesome to visit. I'd just casually walk up to people, smile, then stomp down hard on the floor next to them.[/QUOTE]

I've jumped on these things next to people, hard. It makes them reeeeeeeeaaaaly uncomfortable, and they quickly leave the glass portion of the platform.

The CN tower is great for this.

-Adam

Exactly!

On topic:

If I list all the things I am afraid of, and then order them by intelligence, I'd say that people are the stupidest.



-Adam

bhamv3;262276][quote=JCM said:

Going bald

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Funny you should mention that, I saw someone at a Subway yesterday, here in Taipei, who looked a lot like you. I actually considered going up to the guy and asking if he's JCM from Halforums.

The person was going slightly bald at the top, and his hairline was receding a bit too.

You're not in Taipei are you?[/QUOTE]Of course not... *hides stalker kit*

Whenever I'm lying on my back on an open floor, I'm afraid of someone coming up and stepping on my stomach really hard, on purpose.

North_Ranger said:

Zombies.

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Radioactive zombies.

If they dont eat you first, you die a slow painful death from radiation sickness.

Enresshou said:

For whatever reason, wasps.

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I hate wasps, every year at least one wasp finds its way into my house. I've got a "You don't come near me, and I don't wage an all out chemical war on your entire nest" deal going on with wasps.

And as for mosquitoes, I have two older brothers, and one day the oldest brother went outside for about an hour. By the time he came back inside he had killed about 30 mosquitoes and had a lot of bites on him. The funny thing is though he hasn't been bitten since, and that was over 5 years ago. My other brother and I joke that the mosquitoes are afraid of him now, that he has the scent of death on him.

For a more irrational fear I used to have, I used to kind of be afraid of Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. I had a nightmare when I was about 6 that a volcano erupted while I was riding in a school bus. All of the sudden, the driver turned into Ms. Frizzle and she slapped a "lava-proof" suit on me and shoved me out of the bus to get us unstuck from the magma. I actually swam in the lava for a bit before waking up. Now I just regard any crazy person with a respectable amount of caution.

Another weird fear I have is high ceilings. I don't have a problem with heights as I was up in a glider one time but for some strange reason I have I'm afraid of high ceilings

Just to make a point. Being afraid of something that can kill you is NOT a stupid fear, it's a practical fear. Therefore, my fear of heights high enough to kill me is not stupid or irrational

As far as weird phobias, When I get the feeling that someone's sneaking up behind me. It just plain terrifies me.