The Sum of All Fears
I wanted to know what people were afraid of so I created this project (21 August 2002) and asked people to email me with their fears.
The results so far are listed here by contributor. If you want to take part, look for The Sum of All Fears on nervousness.
The fears so far listed are:
 |
alligators & crocodiles |
|
sharks |
|
something happening to eyes |
|
dropping something from a tall building |
|
growing old & realizing you screwed up |
|
poverty |
|
rats |
|
trapped underwater in a car |
|
nuclear war |
|
being alone |
| the dark (including dark water) |
| car brakes failing |
| outer space |
HEIDI
Alligators, crocodile, and sharks............
I've always excused it as some innate primordial manifestation, creeping through
my civilized genes. Because I live in the Pacific Northwest, I don't have to
contend with these fears too often.
While camping in a field in Florida, I heard some heavy breathing or panting or something that was definately animal. Of course I talked myself into it being an alligator and spent that night leaning against a tree, ready to climb it when Alligator came after me. A farmer drove by in his tractor in the early morning, offering coffee. I asked what he did when the alligators were bothersome. He told me that he'd never seen an alligator, but we were camping in the prime breeding spot for deer.
I only go waist deep in most oceans. While in Acapulco this past
March, my fear of sharks so filled my head that I scrambled out of the ocean
with my heart pounding and head spinning. A sort of panic attack I guess. I have
no idea if sharks swim in those waters, I was just Afraid.
I will never go to Hawaii, have passed on a trip there with my husband, because
I know there are sharks in the water.
ARON
I'm afraid that something could happen to
my eyes (my MOST important organ!)
I'm not afraid of heights, however when I'm somewhere very high, like the top of
a building, I'm afraid that I might drop something...
And I'm afraid of getting old and then realize I screwed up.
g3d
MY greatest fears....
| poverty |
| rats, especially a la the scene in Orwell's 1984 |
| driving my car into a body of water and
being trapped inside |
| nuclear war (I'm not kidding...this
used to keep me up nights when I was a child). |
Sweep
Well, being alone. That's the obvious first fear, because very very many
people have it. I've always been a "loner," so I haven't really had
many friends or anything. Until just recently, I was afraid I was going to die
alone. Of course I'm very afraid of my significant other leaving me.
Water, the dark, and anything else I can't see through but can walk/wade
through. The only water I refuse to get into is pool water, but I can't swim in
the deep end because it's too dark. I refuse to get into ocean or lake water. I
sleep with my light on (my actual room light, not a nightlight) and I can't move
around in my house unless it's daytime.
And the third most prominent fear I have is if my brakes go out on my car. I
mean, I'm driving along then come to a red light and have to stop...But my
brakes don't work! So I roll out into the intersection and die, also killing 3
other people. I'm almost afraid to drive because of this.
facelifter
