why are some people afraid of spiders?

Answer 1

Maybe because some are deadly!! If you spotted a redback crawling up your arm would you not be afraid???

Answer 2

Fear is a basic survival instinct built into all humans. For the most part we fear what is new or alien to us. Truthfully, this instinct is probably why most creatures survive at all.

Spiders are arachnids which are some of the farthest creatures removed from humans that there are. I personally have what I would refer to as a mild sense of discomfort when I see any arachnid. (I.E. Spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites)

To top that off, the presence of eight legs makes their movement (particularly ticks IMHO) seem very alien to us. Seeing the movement of a spider's shadow is usually enough to tell people what it is.

On the other hand, the brain's neural net works in such a way that any strongly emotional reaction we have to something can cause our brain to remember that incident or the things involved in it. I personally woke up once right after a spider egg had hatched right above me, coating me in almost microscopic spiders. It wasn't pleasant and I'll probably never forget it.

While I do not hate spiders, I, as I mentioned before, am made extremly uncomfortable by them.

A phobia is an irrational fear of something so people that are afraid of specifically a "deadly venomous spider bite" are not being irrational but nearly everyone else that fears spiders above that point are being at least a bit phobic.

Answer 3

I've been arachnophobic for as long as I can remember. The weird thing is that in spite of this, spiders completely fascinate me.
A phobia is often described as a morbid fear. I don't think that's entirely accurate though. I'm not particularly frightened of spiders, I just find them completely repulsive - I can sit and watch them for hours, but I absolutely can't bear the thought of having one touch me. I'm happy enough to be in a room with one so long as it's contained and I know where it is at all times.
I've no idea what set it off in my case, or why it persists. In my rational mind I know perfectly well that your average house spider can't possibly harm me, but I still get a nasty shiver every time I see one. I've improved slightly over the years though, and where I used to just kill them on sight, now if I see one I'll just catch it in a glass and let it go outside. That might not sound like much of an achievement, but anybody who's ever had a phobia like this will know exactly what I mean.

Answer 4

I've always wondered this, I'm terrified of them. It's not so much I am scared that they will hurt me, just the mere sight of them send me into dancing mode (others who are afraid of them will understand the "spider dance") Only today I got the washing in off the line, and a big spider crawled out of a pair of trousers, In a nanosecond, the trousers were hanging off the light shade and I'm dancing like a loon in case it's "on me"

Even stranger still, I am not scared of Tarantulas and happily let one walk up my arm, I think it was because it moved so slowly.

I believe that phobias are passed down to us, my Mother was terrified of spiders, as a child seeing her fear, this must have passed on to me. i wish I could shake my phobia off as I live in Greece now and we have some big eight legged beasties here!! Everyone laughs at me!!!

Answer 5

As mentioned already, they are hairy, ugly, leggy, creepy-crawlie monsters.

I wouldn't have a problem with them too much, if they'd stay outside where they belong. Why the ugly buggers insist on sharing my house with me i'll never know.

Having said that, i'm loathe to kill them. I remember being told as a kid, they're our friends and if it weren't for spiders we'd be knee-deep in insects. Now, there's a terrifying thought.

Answer 6

I like spiders but I'm terrified of caterpillars. Just looking at them gives me the creeps. They're either prickly or squishy and the way they wriggle just makes my skin crawl.

Answer 7

Im not afraid of spiders im terrified,id rather a snake or rodent .

Answer 8

Insects repel us at an instinctive level because they are the remnants of failed invasions by other universes that had no idea of the power of Gaia. There have been many attempts but none have ever succeeded she is just too powerful.

Answer 9

We have had countless previous lives, and many of them may have been as flies or other insects. So the fear of spiders may be due to that.

Answer 10

They are different, small, move quickly, unpredictable, appear to be tiny monsters that roam eating things.
But people are probably afraid as their parent or peer was afraid too, and screamed or showed fear, and that is transferred.