Redditor An_Anxious_Mess_Idk asked:
"What is one fear you have that would be considered stupid by most people?"
Never See It Coming
"I’m scared that when I’m driving anywhere late at night and the roads are clear I’ll be struck by one of those land speed record vehicles."
"I’d be afraid it would come out of nowhere and I wouldn’t see it coming."
- gameofthrones_addict
"I always had this fear (a vehicle coming out of nowhere) when crossing streets as a kid. Suburban streets, mind you..."
- unknown-permutation
"Yeah pretty much, just middle of nowhere you don’t always see everything…"
"I know it wouldn’t happen. So I know it’s an irrational fear."
- gameofthrones_addict
Detached
"Becoming detached on a space walk and drifting off into the void."
"I am not an astronaut, for clarity."
- LoneKharnivore
GiphyWooly Bully
"Cotton balls."
- DatDude999
"I can't touch cotton wool or anything of that texture. It gives me the chills and the jitters."
"My wife thinks I'm an idiot."
- cloudstrifeuk
"Me too. Everyone always tries messing with me by showing me them or chasing me because I actually run as soon as I see them!"
- AdministrativeCap998
"It's called Sidonglobophobia. The sounds and the static they make when you touch them makes me shake."
- DatDude999
Hiisssss
"Toilet snakes. Thanks, Stephen King."
- Beesareourcousins
"Wife found a 5 foot long black snake in her mom’s washer. She thought it was some sort of gasket that fell in the tub at first….reached for it and it moved."
"Our house is 500 feet away, heard her scream from the front porch."
"Mother-in-law’s house was built 1890 or so. Not very well sealed up anymore."
- tatpig
"Omg. I found a 3-4 foot snake in my hamper once."
"I heard what I THOUGHT was like, a soda bottle slowly letting out fizz, and when I went to investigate, it was A F'KING SNAKE hissing."
"Carried the whole thing, dirty clothes and all, out to the driveway and kicked it over so the snake would slither away."
"I had bombed for spiders the day before. I had opened all the windows and doors for several hours to air the house out. I’m guessing he snuck in then."
"I was ready to burn the place to the ground after that. 😳"
- SamSepiol-ER28_0652
GiphyTake A Seat
"I can't sleep with my desk chair facing my bed."
"I have to get up, turn on a light, face it away from me, and then I can go back to bed."
"I get irrationally afraid that I'm going to turn over or blink and look at it and someone is going to be sitting in it watching me sleep."
"No idea where that fear came from."
- lockehearte
Deep Blue
"Swimming in a lake, or in the ocean without being able to see the bottom."
"I was bit/cut by something once and since then it's a fear I just can't control.
"I will still go and do it though because I hate it when people tell me what to do. Even when that's myself."
- Personality4Hire
"Thank god water shoes were invented or I’d never go in the ocean or lake again."
"I stepped on a horseshoe crab and it freaked me out so bad I can’t go into those bodies of water unless I have shoes on."
- JRich61
"We had a little sand shark swimming by us one trip to the ocean."
"Haven’t been able to get past ankle deep since. It’s been probably closer to 14 years ago now."
- Negative_Shake1478
GiphyReflection
"Fear of mirrors."
"Creepy things they are."
- The_dead_are_rising
"I'm specifically scared of mirrors in the dark, or any reflective surface."
"I'm convinced that if I look at it, I'm gonna see something horrible standing behind me."
- Kotori425
"Same but I’m not scared of seeing something behind me."
"I’m scared of seeing something in it that could possibly reach or step out."
"Mirrors in the dark feel like a door to another dimension to me and I have no idea why."
- christopharo
"My worst nightmare is getting up at night to go to the bathroom, going past my mirror and I'll see myself in the mirror but the me in the mirror does something different than me..."
"It's that bad that I'll walk past my mirror with my eyes closed at night."
- JenJMLC
Unblinking Eyes
"DEAD FISH."
"UGLY MOTHERF'KERS."
"UNBLINKING EYES ALWAYS STARING"
- Flat_Bodybuilder_175
"Hate to break it to you, but fish don’t blink when they’re alive either."
- Itsafinelife
"You're... not wrong. By the law of my own phobia, I now have a fear of living fish too."
- Flat_Bodybuilder_175
"The sharks got your back bro, they wink."
- salinase
discovery eye roll GIF by Shark WeekGiphyMothra Is A Monster
"Moths."
"I get teased all the times about it and my reasons and people try to trick me in to liking them or admitting it's fake.
"Apparently being scared of spiders is ok (I like spiders) but terrified of moths is weird because I like butterflies and 'they are the same thing'."
- kyaria17
That Moth Fear Is Justified
"May 2020, my husband and I took off on a road trip. Everything was mostly shut down but that’s fine, what we like to see and do are outdoor, nature things. We stopped at a state park in Oklahoma that had only partially opened that very day."
"We walked around for a bit, let the dog run around as we were the only ones there. Then I had to pee. Now I’m a chick and 'I’ve got to find somewhere to pee' is pretty much always happening or going to within half an hour."
"The usual state park bathroom places were one hole situations but in little concrete buildings….nice enough, I’ve used way worse."
"When we first opened the door a LOT of moths flew out. I’m not scared of moths but it was a LOT. So we let them fly away and I went in. I’m sitting there beside one of those large toilet roll things….the one foot diameter ones with the black cover and you pull the paper from under."
"Even as I gave the toilet paper a yank, a tiny part of my brain knew what would happen. A truly biblical number of moths burst out from the bottom of the paper roll when I pulled."
"I ran/hobbled with shorts pulled down and toilet paper in hand just screaming out of the bathroom. My husband all but dropped he was laughing so hard. My poor dog was sure I was being attacked and ran into the bathroom barking and growling."
"It was all hilarious in hindsight. But trying to explain to anyone how moths could make me run screaming is difficult to say the least."
- rebel1031
GiphyFor me?
June bugs.
June bugs crawl out of the ground in the summer because they're mini demons emerging from Hell. I cannot be convinced otherwise.
So what's your irrational fear?
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u/paku26 asked:
Reddit, what's your biggest fear when entering a relationship?
Here were some of those answers.
Emotional Neglect
That they don't like me back, even if it is only a platonic relationship. I worry every day that my friends only hang out with me because they feel bad for me. If I don't get enough attention in a relationship then I start to panic and wonder if it's one-sided.
A Different Kind Of Me
That they'll meet someone better than me. It's happened far too often and I don't know if I could ever not have that thought in the back of my mind.
Dividing Day
A sharp, sudden change in demeanor or attitude toward me, making me feel like I did something wrong.
I dated someone who is type-1 bipolar and for the first few months she was so fun, was enthusiastic, caring, good natured, selfless, etc...and suddenly she became withdrawn, wouldn't look at me, wouldn't smile or have anything to say. It destroyed me because I thought it was all my fault. Now I've learned not to own it personally, but it still hurts when someone's attitude changes toward you for no discernible reason.
No More Interest
That the tiny things that the other person does, the weird habits which you don't understand, which seem adorable or quirky initially, might start grating on you over time.
That you'll run out of things to say one day and you will not not want to know how their day went or what they're up to.
Going out on dates will just be a formality because it is a familiar and convenient ritual, and you have adjusted to it now even though you don't care about meeting.
One Day, Poof
I lost my partner 2 weeks ago. He was 36. Just went to sleep and never woke up. No idea why. The post mortem results won't be ready until after Christmas.
So I'm going to go with the fear of losing them unexpectedly.
Seeing Through The Fog
That they'll realise I'm not really that great once they really get to know me, or that they were bonked on the head and eventually will get their brains unscrambled and run for the hills.
I've got some unkind thoughts about myself thanks to abuse that I'm still working through, years later.
Strong Feels
That I'll smother someone in affection and it'll turn them off from me. I've always felt emotions strongly, and sometimes I have to reign it back, but I worry that I'll fall for someone hard and they won't have the same reaction.
Intimacy Fears
I worry that I've already met and lost the love of my life (which is something I didn't believe in before I met her). I worry that I'll never value any relationship enough as it will always feel like a consolation prize and that whoever I'm with will sense that and it will tear us apart. I crave intimacy like any human being but fear it will cause too much pain for everyone involved.
Every Day
At first I feared growing apart. But then I learned to adapt and adjust to the changes without losing the connection with my loved one.
People tend to grow apart in relationships. Long term relationships are always under assault by people who want to take your partner away from you or vice versa.
They wait on the sidelines and will seize on any sign of weakness in your relationship. "Ignoring your wife? Well, golly gee whiz, do I have a solution for her!"
The best advice to avoid losing your partner to someone else's affection is to avoid taking them for granted.
If you want a long term relationship? Let them know you love them every day and show it in how you act toward them.
Every. Single. Day.
To Be Vulnerable
The biggest one of all, the idea of being so comfortable with someone that you could open up and show all of the skeletons in your closet, all of the fears and doubts.
And one day, maybe not now, maybe not later, maybe never, that information could be used to hurt you in a way that could never happen by chance.
Scientists haven't fully figured out the mechanisms of fear. Some seem to be instinctive, like our fears of predatory animals such as sharks, crocodiles, etc.
But others don't seem to make any sense at all. There are theories that they may develop after a trauma, but that's not always the case.
As far as science is concerned, the mechanics of fear are an unsolved mystery.
Some people develop fears of totally innocuous things like butterflies, pieces of string, or the breeze. Yes, a fear of the breeze or moving air is a real thing.
It's called "aerophobia" and can be so bad that people who suffer from it can't go outside, be near a window where they might see plants swaying in the wind, or even be in a room with a fan.
Quora wanted to know:
What is a weird fear that you have?
People's responses were incredibly varied and unusual - demonstrating that just about anything can end up as a trigger to someone. Before we get into the answers, we wanted to take a moment to thank responders for their willingness to be vulnerable and share.
Some answers have been edited for clarity or language.
Wrists
I know this is going to sound odd, so bear with me.
I have a fear of wrists.
For as long as I can remember, I have been terrified of the underside of wrists. I can't look at my own wrists. I definitely can't touch them. I don't own a single watch or bracelet. Sometime I even struggle with long sleeved shirts, because I can feel it touching my wrists.
One time, I scratched my wrist on a nail and I almost passed out.
Anytime wrists are shown on TV, I have to turn away. Once someone unexpectedly cut their wrist during a show, and I curled up in the fetal position and couldn't move for at least 10 minutes. I still shiver when I think about it.
I haven't met anyone else with a fear like mine. Most people just laugh and hit their wrists together, just to see my reaction. *shudder*
Oh, and wrist tattoos? I will never understand how anyone could ever want one.
DoodleBob
GiphyAs a kid I was terrified of DoodleBob.
Whenever his episode would come on I would run to the kitchen and hide, peeking every couple minutes to see if the horror was over yet.
I don't know why, but I found him so scary. I couldn't stand his talk, his walk, or his look. Maybe it was because he was a mock-off of the loveable SpongeBob.
With every "'me hoy minoy'" I trembled with fear. With every crazy shriek I screamed on the inside. Every time he flicked that pencil and came up with something new I feared that he would create something even more horrifying than himself.
Looking back now, I actually find it kind of funny and feel a bit stupid that DoodleBob had managed to make me run for the hills.
On Purpose
I have an insane fear that someday I'm going to crash my car - on purpose.
Sometimes, while I'm driving, and I'm being tailgated, I have this incredible urge to slam on my brakes and have the guy behind me plow into me. More often, though, when I see a stopped car in front of me, I want to hit it with mine, just to see what would happen. Even pedestrians, I start to target them before I realize what I'm doing. I want to watch them jump and run away.
Also while driving I get insanely-strong urges to:
- While I'm at a red light, just go, even though there's cross-traffic going.
- Take my hands off the wheel and see how long I can go before I crash.
- Drive into the reservoir. It looks so pretty.
- Close my eyes and see how long I can last.
That last one especially scares me. Once or twice I even started to do it - just closed my eyes for a few seconds before I stop myself.
Butterfly In The Sky...
The fear of butterflies. I don't know exactly why or how I came of to be scared of such innocent and innocuous creatures, but I am afraid of butterflies since childhood and even now at the age of 22! Not to mention how utterly disgusting moths are.
Even seeing a picture of butterfly on internet causes heart palpitations.
Ancient humans have always been afraid of flying creatures, maybe I somehow carried the trait. It is strange and embarrassing at the same time, to be afraid of such things. Generally I am not afraid of insects and reptiles. Neither am I afraid of birds or bats.
But encountering a butterfly really sends chills down my spine and my mouth runs dry. Eww it's so disgusting.
Socks
I have a very weird fear. Well, it isn't so much a fear but an aversion. I loathe the very idea of it.
I have a phobia of 'socks'.
It is worse if it is wet socks or dirty socks. Muddy socks. Old socks. Unwashed smelly socks. Socks with threads coming off.
I know that socks won't bite me and they won't band together to attack me or anything. It isn't exactly fear but more like disgust. That doesn't mean I don't run to a completely different corner of the room when I see socks. I just hate them.
I hate the very thought of them.
This phobia is so weird that it doesn't even have a name.
Elevator
I have a fear of elevators… something about falling down and getting splattered at the bottom. Or even weirder, to go up so fast that it flies out of the roof and falls down the building.
Nowhere Is Safe
ANTS!!!!!
I am truly afraid of ants.
When I was 13-ish, my ex-stepdad tried to "toughen me up" by making me help him remove weeds and plant some new plants in the garden without any gloves. He shoveled a large chunk of ground into my hands and I was supposed to place it to the side. It turned out that that particular piece of ground was also an anthill. Not the superficial useless dirt on top of the ground but the actual heart of the thing.
He shoveled an ungodly amount of ants into my unprotected hands and chest. I passed out a bit, then bolted into the shower screaming obscenities to everyone and everything. I ran and stripped naked as fast as humanly possible, got under the frigid water and danced like an octopus doing Capoeira while on meth.
My dad walked in and told me I was a wimp for being afraid of ants. Then, very large, very red and EXTREMELY ITCHY spots appeared on my skin. I ended up having to go to the hospital. That's where we were informed that I am actually highly allergic to ant-bites.
After that debacle, I swear ants hunt me down! They follow me everywhere to finish the job!
One time, I was using the toilet when I noticed a black tiny speck moving up my calf. It was an ant. I looked to my right and there was a literal conga line of ants ambling unto the back of the toilet. They were going for a sneak attack!
Then, I was doing push-ups during martial arts class and an ant bit me on my left hand right between my index finger and middle finger. It swelled up and I could not use my left hand for anything. That single ant bite removes my ability to use that hand for about a week. A clear use of intimidation tactics and psychological warfare to lessen my will to live.
Another time, I saw an ant on top of my foot while I was showering. Rambo Ant hated me so much that it decided to attack me through a literal waterfall of death (to the ant). Rambo Ant risked its own life to attack me when I was most vulnerable — half-asleep, naked and alone.
Last month, I was happily reading under my covers at night when I felt a tiny imp stab my inner thigh. It was an ant. It bit me about 2 inches away from my genitals. The area swelled up and I could not wear underwear for days. The ant could have gone for the money shot but, it did not. It chose not to. It was a warning. The ants were telling me that nowhere is safe. Not my home, not my bathroom, not my bedroom and not my own bed. NOWHERE IS SAFE!!!
Moo
GiphyI thought my fear was pretty weird, but after reading some of the other answers I feel pretty normal.
I'm terrified of cows; to the point of panic attacks, lots of tears and an awful lot of swearing.
An Extension Of My Mind
I'm afraid of things puncturing my skin, because my skin feels like an extension of my mind. I have to look away and distract myself when I get vaccines. There's no way I could ever inject medicine into myself. I can poke my finger with a pin, but just barely, and it takes all my willpower, and the very outer edge of my finger doesn't count as part of my skin anyway.
Bad news: I'll probably die of something that could have been treated using injected medicine.
Just Watching
I have a certain fear that people would say was weird. I'm afraid of portraits. They make me feel very nervous and self conscious. They're just literally watching me, their eyes following me wherever I go.
I don't like photographs of people looking at the camera, it's as though they're staring back at me. Any magazine, poster or picture of people looking at the camera or at me will make me either leave the room or cover the pictures over.
Flush
Flushing toilets. If the toilet isn't flushing it's fine, but every single time I flush the toilet it scares me. I absolutely can NOT flush a toilet in the middle of the night. I like using public washrooms cause flushing a toilet in public is the least nerve wracking for me. Don't know why it freaks me out but it has ever since I was around 7.
There is no shortage of viral videos on the internet that are here one day, and old news the next.
But every once in a while we get an update from an old favorite that we never expected.
And in the case of a video of a young boy, the ending is oh so sweet.
It all started when the boy's father recently shared a video of the boy that went viral two years ago in which he was so scared to jump off a diving board that he was shaking uncontrollably.
Remember this kid that went viral a while back?? (My son RJ) Check him out 2 years later. This is what overcoming f… https://t.co/7RRCgA6zww— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562027449
After a traumatizing moment like that, you could easily understand if little RJ never wanted to step foot on a diving board ever again.
But you'd be wrong.
RJ's dad posted a few new videos of his most recent diving adventures—and it's safe to say that he has totally conquered his fears.
https://t.co/hp9mZxHJbz— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562027492
https://t.co/9vhgxhTDzf— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562027608
Twitter was incredibly impressed with just how far RJ has come.
@Hampsworld YOU ARE DOING AMAZING RJ!! 😭— SCOTTIE 🦋 (@SCOTTIE 🦋) 1562081043
@Hampsworld https://t.co/WGeaXJGp92— beyoncé sweetie (@beyoncé sweetie) 1562089062
And RJ's dad even took the time to respond to some of the love.
@Hampsworld I’m so proud of him and I don’t even know him 😭 literally a leap of faith— keeks | goat szn ♑️ (@keeks | goat szn ♑️) 1562045168
@captaain_krunch I'ma tell him u said that!! That's our favorite line off the Spider-verse movie!! 💪🏾😂— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562045270
And to people who praised how well everyone originally handled RJ's fears.
@Hampsworld I love the support and patience in this video, esp. instead of pushing him. “I don’t want to do it.” “Y… https://t.co/yE8ZnG5JqF— okaaay, kia. (@okaaay, kia.) 1562051941
@kiaasymonee 🔑🔑🔑🔑 I wasn't gonna keep him from trying. And I wasn't gonna MAKE him go. This was ALL him!💪🏾— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562069781
@Hampsworld @kiaasymonee Is that your father that was helping him the first time? He was so patient and kind with him.— Ocean Swan (@Ocean Swan) 1562105361
@Oceanswam @kiaasymonee Yup. That's pops. He's great with him.— S O L I D (@S O L I D) 1562105494
We can't wait to see what the future holds for this rising star.
@Hampsworld Salute young king https://t.co/vYFpyvO1SV— Joc (@Joc) 1562073037
If you have a little one that needs some encouragement, the book I Can Do It (Mindful Mantras) is available here.
"The eighth installment of the Mindful Mantras series equips children with the necessary skills to realize that they can push through their self-doubt and do difficult things because they are brave and strong."
@Hampsworld This is dope. By this time next year the lil homie RJ will be like https://t.co/4OaYWQMR8z— M. Night Famalam (@M. Night Famalam) 1562074338