What are You Afraid Of? (Page 5)

Big Appa - 2010-05-14 12:49 PM I'm afraid of Meh

cayrip - 2010-05-14 10:51 AM All these snake fears.  Wow.  As a herpetologist with a passion for snakes, I am always curious about what makes humans afraid of snakes.  Studies have been done that show people are very polarized about snakes.  They either hate them or love them with very few in betweens.  It is thought that primates including humans learn their fear of snakes from adults.  You can take a child who has never seen a snake or been told what a snake is by anyone and they are not afraid of it.  Same for primates.  However, it just takes one experience with an adult to learn the fear.  In humans, we can pass this on just by talking about them with our children.  Primates typically scold, abuse, kill snakes in front of their young.  It is really fascinating and I would love to hear people's rational of their fear.  I can't change your minds or opinions about snakes so I won't even try.  I just like to hear why.

I do have a question for everyone who fears snakes.  What about turtles?  Studies show an opposite trend with turtles.  Most people are indifferent with very few people loving or hating them.  Why the difference?  From experience...turtle bites hurt a hell of a lot worse than snake bites and never heal very fast when they break the skin and can cause some nasty blood blisters.  Snake bites for the most part (excluding venomous species of course) are the equivalent of having your finger pricked for blood.  It hurts when it occurs but stops hurting alomst immediately and you rarely notice them the next day.

Fascinating stuff and a great topic.  Fears and why we have them.  My cow fear is completely irrational and I don't really understand it except that they are big, stupid, and can squish you by accident.

cardenas1 - 2010-05-13 2:39 PM

Shots, and not the jack daniels kind.   I pass out when giving blood etc and always have since a kid.   Tomorrow I have to go have hand surgery and will be first time I have to be put under anathesia (sp?)...   Let's jsut say I won't be sleeping much this evening.  

})i({RunnerGirl - 2010-05-14 8:08 AM

And this one is certainly irrational - fish.  I had an aquarium as a child and into adulthood and would freak out if I had to put my hand into the tank.  You wonder how I can do an OWS for my triahtlons?  It takes a lot of energy and nerves for me to, that is the truth. 

Snakes + fish + eels = THEY ARE OUT TO EAT ME!!!!! 

rkreuser - 2010-05-14 3:55 PM I tried to come up with something, but nothing unconquerable. I'll go with 'no fear'. I'm too old to live in fear, and life's too cool to let it drive me. I'm not walking on eggshells, ever, and there isn't much - for me - that can't  be solved head-on.

Although, if pressed, it's a toss up between waking up in the morning next to "The King" and a jack collapsing from under a car and crushing me. Neither of which occupy very much of my time.

TriAya - 2010-05-14 4:06 PM Screaming in mortal fear as a gecko rustled within 10 inches of the computer. My sister, at 5:00am on a Saturday morning, is just thrilled.

Only met one other person with this gecko-phobia and for her, too, it's more of an extreme disgust/horror than fear.

I love snakes. I love turtles, of all kinds. I dig lizards, though it's not love.

BUT NOT GECKOES.

Sharyn5 - 2010-05-14 2:35 PM The movie, The Ring....scariest movie ever! Don't see it if you haven't already...I didn't sleep well for months...MONTHS!