Irrational Fears?

[SilberUrS6]

Huh. I guess I'm the odd one out. I have no fear of any snake, I am respectful of potentially poisonous spiders, don't care about other spiders (I actually like having jumping spiders in the house. They are voracious predators. Of other spiders). I like heights, have never been afraid of enclosed spaces. Not a big fan of the water, but only because I am one of those sink-like-a-rock people, and not a strong swimmer. My wife was amazed that in the Great Salt Lake, I could barely float without moving. People with obvious mental issues concern me, but only because their behavior is very hard to predict.

[masraum]

Hmm, snakes don't bother me. Spiders don't bother me unless I walk into a web with my face and think that whatever spider built the web could be on me. Fortunately, they usually leave the web when that happens. I definitely don't have a problem with heights. As a kid I was always in the top of the highest tree that I could find and I have done the sky diving thing. No problem with enclosed spaces that I'm aware of either.

I've never really been in a fight. I've always been afraid that if I got in a fight that I'd end up killing the other person which is weird because I don't have a temper and I'm not violent.

I think it's kind of like a fear that some folks have talked about here on the board before. Some people are afraid of being on a bridge or at the edge of someplace high because they have some fear that they'll jump off even though they have no desire to die or commit suicide. I think my fear of killing someone while fighting is probably similar.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Fear is never rational by definition. That said the thought of being buried alive has always terrified me and (I suppose kind of related) I don't feel comfortable in tight spaces (claustrophobic) or in large crowds. Other than that there isn't much that freaks me out - I fly airplanes, swim / surf, drive fast, ride bikes and motorcycles, go camping where there are all kinds of weird wilderness things, etc.

Also don't like mosquitoes / ticks but that's less a fear than a desire to not ever get EEE, Lyme, malaria or anything like that.

The thought of growing old and infirm bugs me too - I have a long way to go before I'll be able to embrace my own mortality / inevitable death but I'm hoping enough contemplation and meditation will help with that.