By Dana Jung \u201830
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What do spiders, deep water, realistic robots, and loose change have in common? They all made appearances in a schoolwide poll asking students to reveal their most irrational fears. Across 32 responses, students described everything from familiar fears, like heights and insects, to more unusual anxieties involving clusters of holes, submerged objects, and animatronics. Their answers also revealed a common theme: fear isn\u2019t always about how dangerous something actually is. Sometimes, it\u2019s about uncertainty, losing control, or the way the brain interprets a possible threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
32 students rated how fearful they consider themselves on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (very fearful). Seven of the 32 respondents (22%), selected a 4 or 5, while four (12.5%), selected a 1. The remaining 21 students rated themselves a 2 or 3. The poll included common phobias such as heights, spiders, insects, snakes, the dark, and deep water, alongside situational fears involving needles, public speaking, tight spaces, and being alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear of the dark was a recurring theme in the written answers. One anonymous senior offered a detailed explanation: \u201c[I\u2019m afraid of] The dark because I don’t have a sense of what is there\u2026 when I’m in the dark, my brain panics because my eyes aren’t working.\u201d The student continued by emphasizing that darkness can intensify other fears when they feel their vision isn\u2019t reliable. Lizzy VanKuyk \u201828 expressed a similar idea, saying, \u201cI think it\u2019s just the fear of what\u2019s in the dark and not the actual darkness itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a scientific explanation for why uncertainty can feel frightening. Vision helps people understand their surroundings and identify threats. When visibility is eliminated, the brain has less information to work with, making it harder to determine if something is safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of the poll’s most distinctive responses included fears that are difficult to explain to someone who doesn\u2019t experience them. Finnley Brennan \u201830 identified animatronics as her biggest irrational fear, particularly those found in Halloween stores: \u201cno matter how logical I am, every time I see one of [the Halloween store animatronics], I get super uncomfortable,\u201d she wrote. She connected the fear to a childhood experience and also to the odd feeling of seeing something that looks human but isn\u2019t. Jaiden Lui \u201828 shared a related fear, writing, \u201cI\u2019m terrified of robots that look human.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another freshman described a fear of clusters of holes, saying they \u201chate seeing multiple of the same thing at once, it looks uncanny and wrong.\u201d One hyper-specific phobia was argyrophobia, the fear of silverware, jewelry and coins. The responder stated that they are \u201cvery repulsed by coins and can\u2019t explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reading this, you might be wondering: why does fear feel so physical? In reality, fear isn\u2019t just a thought; it prepares a person to react to possible danger. The heart can beat faster, muscles could tense, palms can sweat, and a person may feel an urge to escape or freeze. The variety of these reactions appeared throughout the poll. Harper Acornley \u201830 described experiencing fear around heights and tight spaces. \u201cWhen I\u2019m high up my legs begin to shake and I get extremely light headed,\u201d she wrote. She also described feeling trapped in small spaces. Mimi Benetos \u201827 explained that her fear of heights depends on how safe she believes a situation to be, stating, \u201c[If] I’m somewhere where I know my life isn’t particularly in danger, I’ll be okay, but if I realize that something bad can happen if I’m high up somewhere, my body tenses up.\u201d Her response shows how someone\u2019s perception of danger can influence fear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Luc Lacroix \u201828, needles are frightening for a different reason, expressing, \u201cIt’s not the pain of being poked at; it’s the fact that you\u2019re watching something foreign enter your body.\u201d That statement highlights how fears can center on more than physical pain. Anticipation, uncertainty, and a feeling of losing control can all contribute to anxiety.
Meanwhile, Ben Thomas \u201830 was more direct about his fear of bugs: \u201cI understand they are mostly harmless, but when I see most bugs, I scream,\u201d underscoring the fact that irrational fears can be terrifying, no matter how harmless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The poll revealed that irrational fears can be very specific, but the feelings and reasons behind them overlap. For some students, the explanation lies in a childhood memory or a film; for others, there\u2019s no obvious reason at all. Either way, knowing that a fear is irrational doesn\u2019t necessarily make it disappear. Ultimately, the poll is a reminder that fear is personal. One person’s harmless spider, ordinary needle, or silly-looking animatronic may be another person\u2019s worst nightmare. And, if a Spirit Halloween animatronic ever appears in the middle of class, Finnley might appreciate a little warning.
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