Here at The Daily Tar Heel, we cover the things that you’re afraid to — literally.
Irrational fears. Everyone has them, and if you say you don’t, you’re lying. And with Halloween, the day of fear and candy done and gone, now’s the perfect time to delve into people's everyday horrors.
There are a lot of things to be afraid of: sharks, spiders, snakes, Duke fans, etc. These fears can be classified as rational — it’s perfectly reasonable to fear them. However, there are some fears that are irrational.They don’t have particular reasons, nor present particular threats, but they cause fear nonetheless.
I myself have an irrational fear.
I’m afraid that whenever I go to the bathroom, someone is hiding in the shower waiting to attack me — hey, don't laugh!
You can never be too sure! How would you like it if you were in the bathroom doing your potty dance, and some masked man jumped out from the shower? Not a fun thought. That’s why every time I go, I check behind the shower curtain. Every. Single. Time. Plus, it’s North Carolina! Now, more than ever, you should be cautious! There are clowns out there trying to snatch you up! I’ll stay safe, thank you very much.
But enough about me. Let’s see what some fellow Tar Heels are afraid of.
CaraSiliakus, First-year exercise and sports science major from Waxhaw, N.C. Fear: Bridges.
Reasoning: “I think that they’re gonna collapse when I’m on them or driving. I’ve been to Pittsburgh and there’s an incline and a big overlook, and I thought if it collapsed, I’d be done for. So, now I get nervous on those really big bridges because, in my head, I think they’re gonna collapse.”
CarolineSchreder, First-year biology major from Charlotte Fear: Frogs.
Reasoning: “When I was little, me and my brother were exploring in the woods behind my house. I felt this wet thing on my leg and I just glanced at it, and it was yellow. And it was fall, so I just thought it was a leaf and tried to shake it off. I looked at it and saw that it was a frog looking at me, so I freaked out and flicked it off. So, ever since then they make me really uncomfortable.”
AvaLiccione, First-year psychology and music major from Waxhaw, N.C.
Fear: Worms.
Reasoning: “I don’t remember when the fear started. But I have two older sisters, and one of them loved worms. She’d dig in the dirt — they were friends. But one time, we were all outside and one of my sisters, knowing I was afraid, came right up to me and put a worm on my thigh. I was three at the time, so I freaked out and was really upset."
OtherInstances: “I took AP Biology last year, and after the exam, it was like ‘Oh, we’re gonna do all of these fun labs.’ Fun’s a relative term, considering one was a worm lab. I made it through, but I made it known that I was very scared of worms and I’d do whatever work I needed to. I would just go hide in a corner until it was over.”
SarahFarris, First-year biology major from Concord, N.C.
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Fear: Trypophobia (the fear of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps).
Reasoning: “I saw an article on it last year, and it really started bothering me and I saw all these pictures saying, ‘If this bothers you, you most likely have it.' I showed it to my mom and my sister, and it bothered her too, so I figured that it kinda runs in the family.”
OtherInstances: “Sometimes when you go to home décor stores and they have round-shaped things, you have to just look away because it’s really bothersome.”
KeganCox, First-year biochemistry major from Wilmington, N.C.
Fear: Closed Doors.
Reasoning: “It sounds ridiculous, I know. It’s because I have really awful eyesight and I don’t know what’s behind them, and once I open them, I can’t see things until they’re right here. I don’t know what’s behind it and it freaks me out. My sisters know this, so they hide behind them and try to jump out and scare me. It’s awful, it’s not fun.”
EmilyKane, Sophomore English major from Boone, N.C.
Fear: Escalators.
Reasoning: “When I was a kid, for some reason I convinced myself that the little part where the stairs go under, if I didn’t hop off, it would suck me under. But I got over it when I came here, since you have to go up them at Lenoir. It still makes me uneasy, but I have to deal with it.”
ChristianDickens, Sophomore biology major from Wilmington, N.C. Fear: Werewolves.
Reasoning: “When I was younger, I used to have a recurring nightmare. A man would walk out on an ominous cliff, and there’d be these clouds that’d disappear to show a full moon and this guy would turn into a werewolf. I’d be at the bottom hiding in bushes and after he’d transform, he’d chase after me and that’s how I’d wake up. I would wake up screaming every single night and my mom and dad would run in there because they thought something was wrong. I had it until I was like 14.”
Afraid of wolves, dogs or really hairy people?: “No.”
