We are all afraid of something--that's something that makes us human. No matter how much you wish you could, you can't imagine a world where you were afraid of absolutely nothing. For most of us, our fears are commonplace. Someone else's fear may be slightly odd. Whatever it is you think you are afraid of, take a moment to think about it. Chances are you will find that you aren't actually fearing what you thought.
1. Heights
From roller-coasters to skyscrapers, we all get butterflies sometimes. It doesn't even matter how high up we get. I know there have been times when I've only been four feet off the ground and I got nervous. This has to bring up a question for all of us though: are we really afraid of heights, or are we just afraid of falling? I know the answer for myself and it is that I'm terrified of falling to my death. Being up high, however, is liberating. If I could stand on the edge of a 30-story building with the wind blowing in my hair without fear, I would. Being up high makes most of us feel free. I know for one that I am not afraid of heights--I'm simply afraid of what happens if I lose my balance.
2. The dark
I truthfully love sitting in the dark. Typically, I keep the lights off in my apartment more than I have them on. It's much more calm to be sitting in a dimly lit room, but, for some reason, other people seem to have a problem with this. Apparently, it's "creepy" to sit alone in a dark room. We hear it all the time, "I'm afraid of the dark." This is a much more common fear for children and you tend to age out of it, but there are always some who are still afraid of the dark in college. My question to you this time is are you actually afraid of darkness or are you afraid of what your crazy imagination is telling you could be lurking in the dark unseen?
3. Cars
This one is something I can relate to personally. Back in high school, I got into two bus accidents pretty close together and it gave me a weird and stupid fear of being in a car. I wasn't afraid when I was driving, but I had a near heart attack anytime someone else was behind the wheel (mainly a trust issue). As the months passed, it started to go away a little, but I still get uneasy in the car with people as of the time being. However, no matter how much I tried to convince myself that I didn't like being in cars and would much rather we all still get around on horseback, it wasn't the car that I was afraid of--it was the potential of getting in an accident.
4. Ouija boards
My mother seems to have this fear, as she always refused to buy me a Ouija board for Christmas. In this day and age of horror movies, we are all aware of Ouija boards and what they stand for. I think it's safe to assume that some of you have possibly used them at high school sleepovers or in the place of trick-or-treating. Let's be real though, what are Ouija boards, really? A slab of cardboard with letters and numbers on it. Seems like a pretty irrational fear, right? I'll admit that, although it's not the Ouija board that I'm scared of, I am horrified of what could possibly come out of it or get attached to it (or me) if I mess with it too much.
5. Small spaces
Nobody likes being squished, however, it probably isn't the idea of small spaces that has you worrying--it's much scarier to think you are either going to be crushed, suffocated or trapped (forever).
6. Bugs
Really one of the most cliché fears out there. Most of us don't want bugs anywhere. Whether we are outside or inside, bugs should never be where we humans walk! I remember one time I found a little creepy crawler in my bedroom climbing up the wall, so I squashed it, but was too creeped out to take it off the wall. Some people say it's still there to this day. You know what, on second thought, I totally agree--bugs are terrifying.
7. Open ocean
This one tops the list as my greatest fear for as long as I can remember. I hate the idea of diving into the ocean and reaching that part where the lights stops shining through the water and everything gets eerily dark. Suddenly, you get a feeling of panic as you wonder what unknown species is going to slither up from the depths and eat you. The thing is, I actually find the ocean fascinating and could watch documentaries about it all day. I just don't want to be swimming in it. I'm not so much afraid of the open ocean as I am afraid of drowning and the creatures that swim below.
8. Fire
Fire is something that many people marvel at. It has the ability to be both destructive and beautiful, but why do some people fear it? Could it be that you are actually just afraid of being burnt? Maybe you are afraid of the deformations and death that are possible if you play too much with fire.
9. Masks
Have any of you ever seen that episode of "Goosebumps" where a child got a creepy-looking Halloween mask and, after she put it on, IT FUSED ONTO HER FACE? Yep, that's what started my eternal fear of masks. Not only did it fuse to her face, but she also wasn't able to control what it did. Basically, she became the actual devil incarnate, and the episode still haunts me to this day. Needless to say, I think I'm more afraid of Satan binding himself to me through a latex mask than I am afraid of the mask itself.
10. Bridges
It might be a combination of how high up you are and that fact that you are suspended in the air by just a couple wires, but, chances are, you aren't afraid of the bridge itself. In fact, it's being helpful by getting you from point A to point B, so why fear it? I've never known what it's like to be afraid when you are on a bridge, because, personally, I love looking out the car window and into the water below. For me, it's even soothing.
So, you probably found a fear of yours on this list, but maybe not everything you are afraid of. Now that you can think about what you fear in a different way, remember that it's important to be afraid of things every now and then. Imagine if you didn't get those butterflies in your stomach when you climb up ladders, or if you didn't feel the need to spring to your bed when you shut the lights off. Life would be pretty dull without those self-inflicted moments of crazy rapid heartbeats and panting. This was in no way telling you not to be afraid, just reminding you what it is you are actually afraid of, which is probably not near as much as you think.
