Being Afraid

Being afraid is something that has always been a part of human nature. Whether it be from a scary movie or a creepy reptile, humans have always had fears, and there are extreme ends to the spectrum. It can range from a small aversion, to having an intense phobia.

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder which causes an intense fear of an object, situation, or event. For outsiders it may seem irrational, but to the person with the phobia, they feel genuinely scared or threatened. 

For most people, there are multiple things they may be afraid of, but there is almost always one fear or phobia that tops all the others.  

NHS students and staff were asked what their greatest fears are and almost all answers fit into these three categories. Animals, death, or failure. Ten people said either snakes or spiders, seven people said death or the death of a loved one, and five people said failure. Others had different answers that ranged from home invasion to the dark.

These fears can stem from a multitude of sources. As for spiders and snakes, some researchers believe that humans are prone to these fears from our ancestors. These animals used to be some of the top predators to humans, so the fear has been passed down biologically. Others disagree with this and believe these fears are passed down, but not from genes. Instead, they come from the people we are surrounded by. 

“Maybe parents pass down this fear in other ways—by their own fearful reactions or in the way they talk about things like snakes and spiders,” said Vanessa LoBue from Psychology Today. 

“I’m afraid of spiders because they can move really fast and they're really creepy. Plus, some of them can hurt you,” Kailyn Lahey NHS sophomore, said. “I’ve just always been afraid of them.”

Death or losing a loved one was the second most frequent answer from students and staff. 

“My biggest fear is losing a loved one because then my life would change so drastically without them since they’re such a big part of my life,” NHS freshman Mackenzie Fregoe said. 

Many fears can also result from childhood experiences or traumas. As for the NHS school resource officer Stephanie McDermott, her fear came from when she was a young girl. 

“I’ve grown out of it a little bit now, but I’ve always had a big fear of chainsaws just stemming from all the horror movies back in the day and my older brothers and cousins terrorizing me,” McDermott said. 

The most common responses were things that were expected, but some other answers were much more unique. The NHS oceanography and astronomy teacher Trent Harrison has a fear almost no one else would have. Getting hit in his two front teeth.

“Back in the 80’s there were ashtrays on the armrest of cars and my brother and I were fighting in the back seat and he slammed my head into it. Now my front right tooth is cracked all the way up the back,” Harrison said. “If I get hit on that tooth right in the middle, that tooth is going to barn door. It's gonna break in two pieces straight up the middle. So I’ve been afraid of that happening for forty plus years.” 

Fears are psychological or physiological responses to an object, event, or situation that can last years or even throughout a person's entire lifetime. NHS responses ranged yet simultaneously almost all fit into the same categories. Although the specific reactions and effects of an intense fear differ from person to person, fears are always present in humans.