What are you afraid of?

[!Fluffy!]

(this is a poll, so if the choices haven't appeared they will in a few minutes)

So... in the depth of your soul, in the still loneliness of darkest night, what are you really afraid of? What do you dread? What causes your heart to pound, your brow to perspire, the hair to stand up on the back of your neck... what do you fear?

Check as many or as few as apply, or post if I've missed something.

I've been studying the causes and general phenomenon of fear lately, and I'd just like to get some feedback from everyone.

 

[ChristineES]

I am also afraid of heights, insects and bugs, and talking to strangers. Most of my true fears seem to be irrational fears.

 

[blackout]

I voted spiders. Spiders really trip me out.
I also hyperventalate at the thought of paperwork & beurocracies.
Anything that might make me have to deal with that?...
I am afraid of. She shivers to her core...

 

[!Fluffy!]

I am also afraid of heights, insects and bugs, and talking to strangers. Most of my true fears seem to be irrational fears.

Thanks for answering Christine, sorry i forgot about heights, that's a biggie... i think i read about a national poll that showed public speaking is the number one fear in America.

(i also forgot about fear of the dark, clowns, mimes, and agoraphobia. I also found out there are people who fear mannequins, uniforms, hats, fat people, and bunnies!)

You made an important point here about how true fears seem to be irrational ... it's what I've been wondering about. Fortunately I and most people don't suffer from what they call morbid fears or debilitating fears - those seem to stem from chemical unbalances, trauma or psychological problems.

I think we are living in a time of unprecedented insulation from really fearful events esp. in this country. People's perceptions aside, crime is way down. We don't have to worry about what most of humanity has had to worry about for most of history like war, roving bands of murderous thugs, marauding armies, lawlessness, famine, pestilence, etc.

Yet ppl still seem very fearful but mostly of things that aren't really happening, or fearful of things that could happen or might happen.

 

[Quagmire]

I'm afraid of my own tendency to procrastinate. But I'll worry about it later.

 

[Kungfuzed]

From your list I chose pain and gangs, but I can't believe you didn't include telemarketers and door to door salespeople.

 

[BucephalusBB]

None actually, but I'll vote being alone as that one must be the worst..

 

[YmirGF]

I won't say that I have never felt fear however it is something I dispensed with a long time ago.

A wise man once said, "The only thing to fear is fear itself." I agree. (This is not to say that you cannot startle me, but that is a different kettle of fish entirely.) Otoh, if I looked up and saw a large meteor hurtling down towards me, I may feel fear for the slightest instant, but it is not like it would last very long.

 

[Random]

None of the above. I have no fear. Why was there not a "Man Without Fear" option? :cover:

 

[cardero]

At one time I thought it was zombies, then I realized it wasn't zombies but whatever epidemic virus that turned people into zombies but then what I truly discovered was that it was neither, it turned out to be just a placid fear of indiscreet mobs.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Abject anonymity.

 

[Scuba Pete]

None of the above. I have no fear. Why was there not a "Man Without Fear" option? :cover:

You are right! I see no "Deluded individual" option!

 

[Draka]

Spiders...spiders...spiders............

I don't have a "fear" of clowns, though I do think they are very creepy. Though, I must say, that watching the movie IT does get my skin crawling. Combine creepy evil clown with huge spider monster and you have a sure fire movie to make me want to hide under the bed with my old raggedy ann doll from my childhood.

 

[Melissa G]

(this is a poll, so if the choices haven't appeared they will in a few minutes)

So... in the depth of your soul, in the still loneliness of darkest night, what are you really afraid of? What do you dread? What causes your heart to pound, your brow to perspire, the hair to stand up on the back of your neck... what do you fear?

Check as many or as few as apply, or post if I've missed something.

I've been studying the causes and general phenomenon of fear lately, and I'd just like to get some feedback from everyone.

My immediate Family...there's no reason to be related to scumbags, it just happens !!

Melissa G

 

[Bathsheba]

My immediate Family...there's no reason to be related to scumbags, it just happens !!
Melissa G

rotflmao - bravo!

 

[Bathsheba]

I sometimes fear that I will lose what I have or won't get what I want.

And I think it is almost axiomatic that people that say they don't have any fear are in denial about their fears.

 

[Melissa G]

I sometimes fear that I will lose what I have or won't get what I want.

And I think it is almost axiomatic that people that say they don't have any fear are in denial about their fears.

Fear rules our every mistake Bathsheba. I'm loaded with fears, and I'm not afraid to admit it, see I got over some fear there

You can't have a brain with feeling fear at some time, those who have no fears are psychologically disturbed in my view !

Saluting all the Sisters !

Melissa G

 

[Shadow Wolf]

And I think it is almost axiomatic that people that say they don't have any fear are in denial about their fears.

Some of us do not perceive fear.
Myself, I do not see any reason for fear. And if fear is there, it is something to be overcome.

 

[cardero]

Luke Wolf writes: Some of us do not perceive fear.
Myself, I do not see any reason for fear. And if fear is there, it is something to be overcome.

I really do not have any fears (I don't have to worry about zombies materializing in my reality) but when I want to perceive or experience fear, it will usually be under controlled circumstances. I believe fear is an important emotion to the human experience and in some cases I do not mind persuing this feeling. But it is essential that I practice “safe fear”. Seeking horror or thriller movies are a wonderful way to stir these feelings within. When someone asks me why I continually observe disturbing or terrifying images through film, I tell them it is because I like to challenge and overcome my levels of fear and that I would not like to find myself or others actually experiencing these situations.

 

[!Fluffy!]

Sorry Bathsheba, I'll have to kinda sorta disagree.

I'm still exploring this issue if anyone can relate... it does seem we have levels of fear. IOW, I can be perfectly honest and say I have no REAL fear of anything, including death or pain. Yet I can be just as honest and say some things cause me a momentary surface kind of fear or what I'd call anxiety, yet having settled the basic issues of those things that used to cause fear for me to my own satisfaction and knowing what comes after death have left me with a deep inner peace I guess - that never leaves me.

Part of it comes from having dealt with my fears in a sort of relentless fearless way when I was much younger and my focus was on the sheer angst of having so many of my 'stupid' questions go unanswered satisfactorily. So I tried everything myself and quit believing everything I was cautioned against or told I 'must' do. In the process I became a reckless hedonist, a Libertine and a selfish pig and finally hit rock bottom after i had alienated everyone who ever cared for me.

Dad: You can't just go around doing whatever you want all the time.
Me: Why not?
Dad: (expletive deleted) because I said so, that's why not!
Me: Oh yeah? watch me (heading out the door)..

Me: Why do we have to be born if we are just going to die?
Dad: What are they teaching you in that school of yours?
Me: Why can't I hitchhike to Santa Fe with my girlfriend?
Dad: Because you have to get a job and go to school, and if you hitchhike you will get picked up by a murdering rapist.
Me: Bye!

Me: What makes you so sure there even IS a god?
Parents: Well of course there is a God.
Me: Prove it.
Parents: Get ready for church, you're going to see the Pastor.
Me: Bye!

College philosophy professor: So now you can see how it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt there is no such thing as an 'absolute'.
Me: Well that's just stupid, you made an absolute statement and proven yourself a complete hypocrite!
College philosophy professor: You obviously don't understand a word I've said.
Me: Bye!

Me: life is boring and stupid.
'Friend': here, try this hit of acid (or joint, coke, meth, roll in the hay, Hare Krsna chant, whatever).
Me: sure, why not.
'Friend': see, isn't it great?
Me: no, now life is empty, stupid and scary. Bye!

so thanks mostly to my own actions I've experienced pain, suffering, betrayal, loneliness, grief, poverty, and even death. It was the last one that finally supplied me with all the answers I'd been looking for.

When things get so bad that you finally yearn for the one thing you have truly feared your whole life - oblivion - well that's a lot of pain. For idiots like me, it takes an extreme rock bottom experience to get my attention I guess. And the God I'd denied and hated my whole life was the only one there for me with a love i never knew existed. I've had nothing but peace (and freedom from all fear) since then. that's my story (and i'm sticking to it! lol) but i do believe it's possible to live free of all fear.

On a practical day to day level I'll still go out of my way to avoid things I hate (like public speaking, spiders, and some of my relatives, lol) but the more I really think about it I don't really fear those things as much as just disliking them.