Fears Meme (From uncacreamy

[capri0mni]

What follows is a list of 72 common fears, sort of organized into groups.* Copy and paste into your LJ, and mark an x next to the ones that you have. (add any desired commentary in parentheses, next to the fear, for clarification). Then add up the total.


[ ] the dark
[x] staying single forever
[ ] being a parent
[x] giving birth
[ ] being myself in front of others
[ ] open spaces
[ ] closed spaces
[ ] heights
[ ] dogs
[ ] birds
[ ] fish
[ ] spiders
[ ] flowers or other plants

Total so far: 2

[ ] being touched
[ ] fire
[ ] deep water
[ ] snakes
[ ] silk
[ ] the ocean
[x] failure
[ ] success
[ ] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[ ] boyfriends/girlfriends mom
[ ] rats
[ ] jumping from high places (This just seems sensible to me.)
[ ] snow

Total so far: 3

[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] crossing hanging bridges
[ ] death
[ ] heaven
[ ] being robbed
[x] falling (specifically, walking/wheeling my chair past a flight of stairs [or along a curb], particularly if it happens to be on my left-hand side -- have the sensation I'm about to slip over the edge.)
[ ] clowns
[ ] dolls
[ ] large crowds of people
[ ] men
[ ] women
[x] having great responsibilities
[ ] doctors, including dentists
[ ] tornadoes (again, common sense, if there's a tornado warning in the area)

Total so far: 5

[ ] hurricanes (again, common sense, if there's a big one bearing down on you)
[ ] incurable diseases
[ ] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] ghosts
[ ] poverty
[ ] Halloween
[ ] school
[ ] trains
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[ ] being alone
[ ] becoming blind
[ ] becoming deaf
[ ] growing up

Total so far: 5

[ ] creepy noises in the night
[ ] bee stings
[ ] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[ ] needles
[ ] blood
[ ] dinosaurs
[ ] the welcome mat
[ ] high speed
[ ] throwing up
[ ] falling in love
[ ] super secrets

Total: 5 Fears.

*She and I are both suspicious of this list: there are several biggies omitted: No fear of germs, or Public Speaking (different from "being yourself"), or GOING OUTSIDE, or the Telephone?

And the welcome mat is a "common" fear? WTF?

Comments

[uncacreamy.livejournal.com]

You seem remarkably free of them! Awesome.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe not if you include the things I am afraid of, that are not on the list (it's not a constant fear, but pops up occasionally -- such as going outside, or making blind telephone calls when I expect a living person on the other end).

I think I'm no longer afraid of going blind or deaf because I've known people who are blind or deaf, and/or both (and known them to be some of the happiest people I've met)... and I know enough ASL to be fairly fluent in a conversation (after a rusty start). Losing my sense of touch, or taste, or smell, however, would truly suck....

[uncacreamy.livejournal.com]

I had Agoraphobia pretty badly for a long time, too. It still crops up when I don't go outside for a long time (which can happen, if my knees are acting up and the weather is bad. I can't take my son out by myself, often), or if I'm going someplace I haven't been, on my own. I push through it though, because I remember being trapped.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

*nod* yeah.

I don't mind if I have a specific errand, or a reason... But just going outside casually (particularly if my neighbors are out there), has become a "thing." It wasn't a thing until I got to know my neighbors -- when I first moved here, for example.

Can't say they've behaved badly toward me, or anything, either -- perfectly polite and everything ...just... gah!

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Why ... why would you be afraid of the welcome mat? What? I DON'T GET IT.

Also, um, dinosaurs are extinct and therefore a silly thing to be afraid of.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Well, I can remember being a little kid, and slightly freaked by the life-sized skeletons of dinosaurs at the natural history museum... they do sort of tower over... everything.

I suppose you could be afraid of one of those skeletons falling on top of you.

Is it sillier to be afraid of dinosaurs, or clowns?

But yeah, I think I've at least heard of every fear on that list, except welcome mats.

[alryssa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I mean... do they mean the act of someone putting out the welcome mat, as in, being really nice to you, or the object itself? I am confused by this concept with either answer.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

I think they mean the object (otherwise, it would be fear of "welcomes," right?). ... But only think.

...The Clown is my friend. It will not bite me, and throw me in the basement. The Clown is my...