What keeps us up at night? Often we are thinking about the goals we want to reach, reliving conversations of the day, and sometimes, in the way that happens after dark, dwelling on our biggest fears.
We hear a lot about the irrational or wild fears people have when in reality there are things in our everyday life that are just as, and sometimes more, terrifying.
Redditor camoman7053 wanted to know:
“Forget irrational fears, what's yours perfectly rational fear?"
A scary thought…
“Aneurysms. I've lost 2 relatives to it. I've briefly talked to someone who has survived and recovered from one and it sounds like you're better off to just die from it than try to recover.” damnthatriver18
It could happen so suddenly…
“Irresponsible drivers.” Acolyte_5
“Seriously. You can just be going along, minding your business, driving the speed limit and obeying traffic laws, and BAM, some reckless a**hole comes outta nowhere and ends your life. Completely out of your control. That is terrifying.” serious_iniquity
Don’t look down…
scared jason paul GIF by Red BullGiphy“Heights. Just trip and you die. I have to cross the highest bridge in my country to get to the store on my bicycle... only a small metal fence between me and the awful depths. I die on the inside every. single. time." DoctorWhoTheF*ck
The vegans will outlive us all.
“I'm afraid I will make poor health choices as a younger person that will decrease my quality of life in my late 50s-death.” TheMimesOfMoria
“Don't worry I made great life choices, got a few injuries I would have no way of preventing and now I'm mess too. My teeth are pretty okay tho.” ugh_as_iff
Poverty hits hard…
“Living in poverty or being homeless. They say that money can't buy you happiness. But it sure can buy you freedom.” MimikyuMimikyu
“Money is a proxy for resources. It is the food in your mouth, the clothes on your back, the roof over your head, and what you need to get a college education. Since money is a proxy for resources, and we need resources to live... well... it kind of IS important.”
“The whole ‘money isn't everything’ line is what business owners tell their under-paid employees. The shame is that we started telling it to ourselves.” TiredOfDebates
Spelunking anyone? Anyone?
cave GIFGiphy“Getting stuck in a small hole in a cave head-first with no way of moving your arms or legs and nobody nearby able to hear your cries for help." Altruistic-cry-3041
“I got stuck trying to exit a cave through a small hole for 15 minutes. Most terrifying part was realizing I could only breathe about half a breath and could just feel the walls stopping my chest from expanding. Was able to calm myself and wiggle out slowly ripping my jacket to shreds in the process. Gave me mild panic attacks for weeks after." hopscotchmcgee
A fear many have…
“Dementia.” RayAnselmo
“What's more frightening is that eventually, as neurological deterioration progresses, you won't even realize what's wrong with you. You'll simply be confused, paranoid, and scared constantly.” SlenderByrd
Failure…
“That I'll fail one day. That I might be fired, and won't be able to get another job. That maybe ends won't meet and I can't make them, or that an opportunity will be offered and I'll be too ignorant or stupid to take it. I just really, really want to be able to live life to the fullest instead of living in a run-down apartment with no job and empty cupboards.” LoserSkadoodle
Bad dreams and sleeplessness…
“Sleep. Almost every single night I have some kind of vivid dream that's not so pleasant, wouldn't call them full blown nightmares but I wake up so drained and it prevents me from having the battery charged and just being able to have the mindset to tackle the day..” harshreality35
“That I'll forever be left with no aspirations or real motivation.” Cool-Boy57
“There aren't any animals that scare me much. I've gotten mugged. Nearly fell to my death and was saved by a small pile of snow. Had to drive on top of a mountain filled with the most slippery mud I'd ever seen on a narrow path with a giant cliff right beside me. But none of these scare me as much as this right here. It's terrifying to think that it's entirely possible that I may never find a goal that will satisfy me and make me happy.” grimjack123
These are very real and valid fears that many users were able to relate to. It might feel like you’re alone in your worry but others are scared too.
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Curious to hear people's predictions, Redditor Nuggl3s7 asked:
"What will be the reason for human extinction?"
Redditors had their sci-fi theories.
Remember Pixar's WALL-E?
"Im gonna have to go with the WALL-E theory that we will turn our planet into a giant waste basket."
– SheriNormand
We Are Not Alone
"Something from space probably, there is some scary stuff in the void."
- Mylastbreathgoing
An AI Revolution
"We merge with AI end become a different species, thus ending homo sapiens."
– Soggy-Impact-5852
It might take one huge impact.
We Would Never See This Coming
"Either a massive space object colliding with Earth, or Mother Nature finally gets tired of our sh*t and concocts a virus 10 times more contagious than COVID and several times more fatal than Ebola."
– POL4Life
A Big Bang Theory
"A Coca-Cola truck hits a Mentos truck."
– No_Finger9730
Ouch
"Every human simultaneously stubs their toe at the same time. R.I.P."
– LeakingLantern
Some speculate the big disaster will be one of our own making.
Self-Destruction
"Generous of you to assume it will be error. Right now there's a large percentage of the decision makers in the world operating by 'This will have catastrophic effects if everyone does it, but it will be profitable if I do it. So everyone else needs to stop, but I'm not going to, and also I'll be dead by the time the really bad consequences happen so f'k all y'all I guess.'"
– ProjectGO
Corruption
"For realz tho…no big catastrophe….just a slow drip of f'k you gimme your money while I ruin the world and whattya gonna do about it brah? Nothing, that’s what. If you can’t stop me I’m gonna do it indefinitely. Big fish eat the little fish. Then eventually no little fish left and big fish go bye bye 👋"
– BeneficialBig153
There's A Sad Pattern
"Considering how poorly humanity as a whole dealt with this time's pandemic, and how much we overestimated their intelligence, yeah. 5 centuries is a generous amount of time, I give it 3 centuries."
– ToastWithNaomi
Mea Culpa
"This, I think it will be our fault and only our fault."
– RandellX
Growing Lack Of Intelligence
"Gross stupidity. In less than 500 years max."
– Centretek
Many Redditors speculated our own shortcomings would inevitably be the end of us instead of a meteor shower or a hostile takeover of extra-terrestrials.
Interesting.
It says a lot about our lack of humanity, doncha think?
Redditor AdministrativeFox784 was curious to hear the things which were necessary for people to have a peaceful night's sleep, leading them to ask:
"What is something you absolutely cannot fall asleep without?"
Sleepless Nights...
"Apparently hours of sleep deprivation."- RaphaelSolo
Tired Stewie Griffin GIF by Family GuyGiphyGive Your Knees The Support They Need
A pillow between my legs."- frann_ie
A Cool Dark Room
"A fan running and complete darkness."- Dangerous_Effort3355
"My fan on, I'll wake up immediately if it turns off."- keznaa
Star Night GIF by TRTSilence!
"Ear plugs."
"I started wearing them when my wife started snoring like a buzz saw."
"Now I can't sleep without em."
"It's almost become a Pavlovian thing where putting them in almost instantly helps me fall asleep."- fartswhenhappy
When Your Mind Is Racing, It Has To Wear Itself Out Eventually...
"An underlying sense of dread and impending existential crisis."- Bigby11
pillow GIFKeeping You Physically And Emotionally Warm...
"A blanket to hug."
"I curl it up and then hug it."
"I love it Soooooo much!"
"I think this is because I grew out of stuffed animals pretty quick, I was allergic to them, they made cough, and I needed something to replace those fuzzy creatures."- plop8624
Stirring The Imagination To Awaken The Dreams
"Either reading a book or watching a relaxing youtube video."- fh3131
It would be nice if we all had on/off buttons which allow us to sleep undisturbed.
But until we do, our own, personal rituals will have to do.
