this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2025
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By specific, I mean not general fears like fear of heights or spiders.

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[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Waking up to find my partner dead. I used to leave for work while she was still deeply asleep so every morning before I kissed her goodbye I would have that moment of terror that when my lips touch her she would be cold.

[–] Fondots@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That while I'm driving I'll have to sneeze while driving across a bridge and during that split second while my eyes are closed and I'm distracted by the sneeze I'm going to drive off the edge.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago

That is wonderfully specific!

[–] gnomesaiyan@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Thalassophobia, aka fear of deep water. No problem being in a boat, but swimming in it is a no-go. I can swim in swimming pools, but the larger the body of water (ponds, lakes, ocean, etc) the larger the fear. I think it has something to do with not being able to see through the depth of the water? Strangely enough, the idea of being in space doesn't bother me at all.

I also tried Subnautica (based on recommendations) like a dumbass, played it for 20 minutes and had a panic attack. Uninstalled!

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'd like to try you out on the swamp down the street. You can see the bottom almost everywhere, it's that clear. But there's at least one gator in it and certainly cotton mouths along the shoreline.

(Given their typical territory, probably only 1, maybe 2, gators. They're shy as hell in any case, have barely glimpsed it.)

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[–] Stache_@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 day ago

I can’t look at super close up pictures of insects, like where you can see all the little hairs and shit. Sends shivers down my spine. The worst part is I had to dissect a giant grasshopper in high school anatomy. God I still remember having to rip its mandibles out of its face. Gahh shiver The cat was much more manageable later on in the year lol

[–] SlothMama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Getting hung from a tree in a gate crime

[–] Tungsten5@lemm.ee 14 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I dont want to hold babies. I have a fear that I will drop it and I am not sure what I would say to the parents. Im not sure what is going to happen when I have kids

[–] MajorHavoc@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Im not sure what is going to happen when I have kids

For me, it went like this:

  • I'm afraid I'll drop or hurt this tiny helpless child.
  • But this tiny helpless child can't even go drink milk by itself.
  • I guess I can only make things better helping it get milk. I'll just be really careful.
  • That wasn't so bad. I guess I can do this.

Then repeat in stages every 15 minutes or so as it needs diapers, or cuddles to warm up, or cleaned, or milk again, or diapers again.

Until eventually I'm confidently picking it up in a moment of complete terror so that it won't run out into traffic.

[–] Tungsten5@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

This does make me feel better. My wife keeps saying I need to hold babies to get over it (I suppose similar to your experience, hold it and realize it ain’t that bad). We’ll see how it goes. I don’t plan on having kids until I finish grad school though so I do have some time to prepare myself to face my fear: baby droppin. Thank you kind stranger for the words of wisdom

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

LOL, I got over that early. Dropped a cousin on her baby head as a child.

[–] Tungsten5@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

Did she die?

[–] KokusnussRitter@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Saws. The sound they're making shakes me to my core and having to help someone who almost amputated their finger enforced that fear further

[–] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

All saws, or just power saws? Do you have a similar reaction to all kinds of saws, or just specific ones? Table saws, band saws... How about chainsaws?

Pretty much any variation of power saw. The closer your hands are to the moving saw, the worse. Hand saws are cool tho. Love my Ryoba

[–] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’ve tried to live a good life, and tried to be a good influence around me. My secret fear is suddenly dying in public, and farting like some corpses.

I want to be remembered as a good coworker or friend, etc., not as the guy who farted loudly after dying.

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Not much at this point. After having open heart surgery and having my heart stop a couple of times, I'm not really scared of much.

[–] TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If it’s okay, would you explain why? Did you make your preparations in case of death, or are like “give your best shot, life”?

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Really, the only thing I was scared of was needles. Well, I've been poked and stabbed more times since 2018 than I can count. Another blood draw and IV last Thursday in fact.

Your perspective on fear and pain changes once you've been cracked open like a lobster and laced back up with metal like a ballet slipper.

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[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have a fear of being wrongly accused/arrested for something horrific, like murder, and then when I'm taken in for questioning I do what you're supposed to and refuse to speak and ask for a layer, but that just makes everyone suspect me more and I end up in prison.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Trust me, STFU and stay strong. My wife watches stupid crime shows every night, and every night it's a bunch of white trash happily talking their dumbasses off to the cops. Makes me want to scream.

[–] Corno@lemm.ee 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

My family finding out about my fictional crushes, showing that I've got a superbly weird taste in fictional men.

[–] Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Turn that into your armour. I threaten my friends and family with my search history so they'll never be tempted to snoop.

[–] FridayLives@lemm.ee 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Being helpless in a situation I had already thought about but never had the opportunity to prepare for.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Getting a catheter with a broken femur was that situation for me. Scared of that since I saw my poodle with one as a child.

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 1 day ago

That I have pee pee dribbles on my pants, after walking out of a work or public restroom. It's not even that I'm afraid I actually have pee pee dribbles, but that when I washed my hands, water drops got on or around my crotchal region, and people will believe it's pee pee.

Fear of ending up in Guantanamo and getting tortured. (I'm American)

[–] Stache_@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I can’t look at super close up pictures of insects, like where you can see all the little hairs and shit. Sends shivers down my spine. The worst part is I had to dissect a giant grasshopper in high school anatomy. God I still remember having to rip its mandibles out of its face. Gahh shiver. The cat was much more manageable later on in the year lol

Whenever I have to go into the city (I live in a small town) I have to take a short ferry to get there. Whenever it lists like 4-6 degrees, it scares me so bad.

[–] TokenEffort@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Being stuck in a traffic jam while driving. I have a 0% chance because I don't drive.

[–] singletona@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Never being able to get out from my family's thumb. Dying misirable, bitter, and angry at the world because my whole life was squandered. Realizing my one chance to have avoided all this passed thirty years ago and even then it was at best a half-chance.

[–] captainjaneway@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm afraid the world will end and I'll be a dick without my SSRIs or coffee

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[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I fear that, one day, the wrong people are going to find out I cheated on my finals in order to graduate, which does have consequences.

[–] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago

Hah!

I chose a BA in computer science because it indicated that I'd satisfied the requirements for both - it was literally my choice; I'd done all of the stuff for a BS plus a enough for a minor in a BA. Stupid me thought people would understand that a BA in CS meant you went beyond.

No. No, hiring managers think a BA in CIS is some weaker, non-technical, non-STEM kind of computer thing, like a degree in computer art or something.

So I've been lying my whole life; when asked, I say I have a BS in CIS. I wouldn't say I'm ever exactly worried about being caught out, because it's easily explainable, but it has crossed my mind occasionally, when filling out applications.

[–] Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The flesh eating disease. It's everywhere and you can get it from a minor cut.

[–] callyral@pawb.social 2 points 1 day ago

the WHAT disease??

[–] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The what now? It's where?

WHAT‽

[–] Ceedoestrees@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 1 day ago

Jesus. I long for simpler days, when my deepest fear was prions.

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