Fear.
The stomach-turning feeling that everyone has felt at least once in their life. Whether it’s an irrational fear such as bright and colorful clowns, or a deep and brooding fear like dying, everyone has their own personal fears that they’ve garnered throughout life. Regardless of intensity, fear is a normal part of life. Different kinds of fears and where they originate are what fuels people to be who they are today.
Irrational Fears
Irrational fears are usually defined as silly or non-life altering fears. They don’t usually have a rational explanation or cause behind them. Things like a fear of clowns, snakes, or sharks are all fears that some might label as irrational and unnecessary. The main depiction for irrational fears are things that pose no threat in our day to day lives. Often the anxieties people have over these fears are unwarranted and puzzling. For instance, some people panic at the thought of spiders or the dark, while others feel dread at the simple prospect of public speaking.
“All my life, my dad has had this irrational fear of gnomes. I’m not sure if it’s simply a joke between him and his students, but it’s been an on-going thing my whole life,” junior Adelia Vogelgesang said. “He’s said he’s scared of gnomes because he read a book or watched a movie, I can’t remember which, but it inflicted the fear that they’re going to multiply. [He’s afraid that] like he’ll walk into our house and see a gnome, and they’ll slowly start multiplying throughout the house.”
Because of these fears, some have had it affect their day to day lives. Some might purposely avoid going places that might publicly display or mention their fears. Others might just completely check out of a conversation if what they’re scared of is even mentioned. In addition, irrational fears, for some, might not just be random. Bad experiences and trauma can cause these irrational fears, no matter how silly they may be.
“My biggest fear is snakes and tornadoes, and my ultimate fear is a tornado full of snakes. When I was younger, I had a snake slither and coil itself-up my leg. It was the most awful feeling! I couldn’t get it off of me and I was so freaked out,” Cosmetology instructor Haley Bullard said. “I get so anxious and scared if I am ever near a snake now. I also had a dream about being stuck in a tornado full of snakes at some point when I was younger and ever since then, I have always been terrified just thinking about ever being stuck in something like that! My house has also been hit by a tornado before, and that also makes me a little on edge when we get weather like that. Luckily, this one wasn’t full of snakes though.”
Rational Fears And Phobias
Rational fears and phobias tend to be based on real and tangible danger or threats. These fears are usually reactions to situations that carry some type of risk. These fears can even turn into phobias- exaggerated or persistent fears that can affect the daily functioning of a person. These fears and phobias arise from a real risk to our well-being, and they can trigger the body’s natural fight or flight response to help us avoid harm.
“As dumb as this may sound, I have a horrifying fear of school shootings. I’ve never even had an experience with guns or a real lockdown, but the idea of it is horrible to me,” an anonymous sophomore said. “When we have drills, and I know it’s a drill going into it, I can’t help but feel like I’m gonna sob. Even if it is simply just a drill to keep us safe, the idea of one day being in that situation makes me feel like I’m suffocating. It’s gotten so bad before that I’ve considered being home-schooled just to keep myself and my siblings safe.”
Just like with the irrational fears, some with intense and extreme fears will go out of their way to completely avoid putting themselves in situations where they might be faced with their fears. Whether it’s steering clear from being in crowds or busy places, or overall completely removing aspects of life to avoid being confronted by their ultimate fears.
“This is probably why I’m afraid of lockdowns, but I’m also extremely scared of dying. I’m so young and I’m just not ready to go yet. I know a lot of people our age think that but it has actually really affected how I live my life,” Anonymous said. “I don’t hang out with friends who I know speed when driving. I don’t go out and do certain things just because of the overwhelming anxiety that I’ll somehow die along the way.”
Facing Your Fears
Fears are an everyday part of life. Whether a person is scared of the smallest, least threatening things, or the worst and scariest aspects of life, their fears are valid. Moving on from these fears might be hard, but it is possible. Nobody has ever truly been 100% fearless, but learning to understand and manage phobias and fears can help a person live a more balanced, anxiety free life.
Mac Davis-Patton • Jan 29, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Very well-written and interesting! Great job