5 for Friday

1. If you have a phobia (or something close to one), what is it?

 Heights - I don't even like standing on chairs/stepstools to change lightbulbs or reach things, though there's practicality to that too. As much as I love dogs, I still have a residual fear of unfriendly dogs (I was deathly afraid of all dogs as a child. All of them.) People in authority, because I fear being judged by them. (I have an extra special fear of all my past teachers, because I would be a total disappointment. Luckily, I never run into them.) And strangers, particularly men.
Snakes,  Everybody's deathly afraid of snakes, Used to have neurotic fears of electricity/electrocution and millipedes, but those aren't too bad now.

2. How long have you had the phobia (or something close to it)?

I don't know? Forever? It's hard to pin down when things like this start. In my case they didn't start with one cataclysmic event or anything, 'cause... my life doesn't have cataclysmic events, really.

3. If you know anyone with a phobia (or something close to it), how does s/he act when s/he is experiencing it?

I don't know anyone with a phobia/quasi-phobia, I don't think, or if I do, it hasn't come up.

4. What is one phobia you would wish not to have?

Strangers/men. It's really fairly stupid, and goes against my belief to treat people as people. But I still have this ingrained expectation that they're going to yell at me / spit on me / mock me. Which I'm sure passes through the minds of many, but it doesn't get carried out often enough to be a rational fear. And yes yes, everyone should carry a healthy amount of doubt re: strangers to avoid getting themselves mugged; that's not what I'm talking about. When you can't pass by people on the street without wanting to shrivel up and die because you're sure they think you're disgusting, something is wrong with you.
 
5. What is one phobia you wouldn't mind having, if you were to face one?

Fear of making a fool of myself.