The fear factor

Can you relate? The most unusual phobias people actually have!

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We all know someone who’s afraid of spiders, heights, or enclosed spaces. But what about those who fear belly buttons? Or the color yellow? Phobias come in all shapes and sizes, and some are pretty unusual. Hey, no judgment here! Even if they are weird, they’re genuine to the people who experience them. Let’s take a deep dive into the world of weird phobias; don’t be afraid to keep reading!

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Do you know that feeling when peanut butter gets stuck to the roof of your mouth? If the thought truly terrifies you, you might have arachibutyrophobia.

Most of us just grab a glass of milk and move on, but those with this rare fear experience real anxiety at the sight of peanut butter. Some people develop it due to a choking incident, while others may have a general fear of sticky textures. In any case, PB&J are off the menu!

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Ever feel a little lost when you forget your phone at home? Nowadays, we might all have a little bit of this. But imagine that feeling cranked up to full panic mode: that’s nomophobia or the fear of being without a mobile phone.

People with this phobia get extremely anxious if their battery is low or if their signal is weak. Worst case scenario? Losing their phone!

While modern life makes phone use unavoidable, nomophobia can seriously disrupt daily life. Maybe it’s time for a digital detox or at least a backup battery.

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Math anxiety is one thing, but arithmophobia takes it to the next level. People with this phobia don’t just dislike numbers; they are genuinely afraid of them.

The thing is, numbers are everywhere, so you can imagine how disturbing this phobia can be! The sight of math equations or even having to deal with numbers in daily life can trigger anxiety. Thankfully, calculators exist, but even using one might be nerve-wracking for someone with this phobia.

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Most people dream of winning the lottery; we know we do! But that’s not the case for people with plutophobia, who would rather stay broke. Why? Because this phobia is a fear of money, either having it, dealing with it, or even being around wealthy people.

Some fear the responsibility that comes with wealth, while others associate money with greed or corruption. While the rest of us check our bank accounts with dread, plutophobes avoid money matters entirely. If only bills could pay themselves, right?

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The color yellow is usually associated with sunshine and happiness, but for people with xanthophobia, it’s a cause for panic. Can you believe that?

This rare phobia involves an intense fear of anything yellow (yes, from flowers to school buses, and even a banana could trigger anxiety.) Since yellow is everywhere, avoiding it entirely is nearly impossible. Imagine trying to walk through a grocery store without spotting mustard or lemons!

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For most of us, opening our eyes is an automatic action, but for those with optophobia, it’s a source of fear. This rare and highly debilitating phobia makes people afraid to open their eyes, often due to a deep fear of what they might see.

It’s usually linked to anxiety disorders and can make daily life incredibly difficult. Many sufferers prefer to stay in dimly lit spaces or keep their eyes closed as much as possible.

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If just reading this word made you nervous, you might have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: the fear of long words. Ironically, the name itself is one of the longest words in the dictionary, which seems a bit cruel for those who actually suffer from it, don’t you think?

A more manageable term for this phobia is sesquipedalophobia, but either way, it involves anxiety over reading or pronouncing long words. It often develops during childhood if someone struggles with reading, leading to embarrassment or fear of making mistakes.

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Belly buttons are harmless, right? Well, not if you have omphalophobia, the fear of belly buttons. People with this phobia can’t stand looking at, touching, or even thinking about navels, sometimes even their own!

Some sufferers keep their belly buttons covered at all times, while others avoid places like beaches or swimming pools where they might be exposed. If you know someone with this phobia, you can cross off crop tops from their gift list!

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Believe it or not, some people are terrified of string. Linonophobia is the fear of string, yarn, or anything similar. Even the thought of touching string can cause extreme anxiety in those who suffer from it.

You may think this one is not quite debilitating, but think of all the clothes! Or wrapping a gift, let alone sewing! Those are impossible tasks for them. Have you ever heard of this one?

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Facial hair is trendy, and most men have it! But for people with pogonophobia, beards are downright terrifying.

Phobias are irrational; there’s no logic behind them, but we can imagine that some find beards unclean, while others feel uneasy about their texture and volume. Pogonophobes may avoid bearded people entirely, which can be tricky during "No Shave November." Sorry, Santa, these folks aren’t coming anywhere near you!

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We all complain about work, but people with ergophobia take it to a whole new level. This phobia involves an intense fear of working, the workplace, or anything job-related.

It can stem from anxiety, past job trauma, or even fear of failure. While it might sound like an excuse to avoid going to the office, ergophobia can seriously disrupt a person’s ability to earn a living. Can you imagine?

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People with eisoptrophobia want nothing to do with mirrors. This fear may stem from superstitions (who wants to risk seven years of bad luck?), self-image issues, or a fear of seeing something supernatural.

Some avoid looking at their reflection entirely, which makes getting ready in the morning a bit of a challenge. Whether it’s about avoiding bad luck or just disliking what they see, mirrors are a no-go for eisoptrophobes.

Surprise!

Did you know these 10 exhilarating twist endings?

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Who doesn’t love a good ending? Those final moments of entertainment are definitely the turning point that elevates some books and films to masterpiece status. And it should be said—sticking the landing is no easy task. Endings are where all loose ends of a story come together, and it takes a dedicated artist to truly bring their work of art to a perfect close.

With that in mind, we believe a special mention is due to those pieces of media that go even further and completely defy our expectations with their endings. Yes, we’re talking about those unforgettable twists in movies and books that shook us to our core and made us reconsider the entire experience.

Without further ado, here are 10 of the best twist endings out there. Don’t worry—this list is entirely spoiler-free. Enjoy!

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We’ll start with an American classic. In 1960, while Alfred Hitchcock was filming what many consider his ultimate masterpiece, he instructed his production crew to visit bookstores across Los Angeles and buy every available copy of Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel Psycho. His reason? He wanted to prevent future viewers from spoiling the movie’s twist ending.

While there’s no way to know whether Hitchcock’s strategy was successful, Psycho’s shocking conclusion took the world by storm. Its masterful final reveal instantly cemented the film as a classic, securing its place as one of the greatest movies in cinematic history.

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Speaking of absolute classics, let’s move on to a film that completely revolutionized the industry. Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is still considered one of the greatest movies of all time, and many arguments support this claim—from its brilliant script to its groundbreaking technical achievements.

A key element that makes this film so remarkable is the mystery surrounding the word Rosebud—the single word Charles Kane repeats throughout the movie. As promised, we won’t spoil it in case you haven’t seen it, but let’s just say the reveal is just as revolutionary as the film itself.

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Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw radically changed the ghost story genre. Written in 1898, it follows a governess who moves with two children to a remote country house. After a series of inexplicable occurrences, they become convinced the house is haunted.

What makes this seemingly simple story so remarkable is the way the ending completely turns the story upside down. The Turn of the Screw has been adapted multiple times for the big screen and has influenced other iconic films, such as the 2001 movie The Others, starring Nicole Kidman.

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Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 novel Fight Club is best known for its 1999 film adaptation, starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. With a title like Fight Club, you might expect an adrenaline-fueled action flick, but the film is far more than that. It’s a deep exploration of human nature and the dangers of modern society, culminating in a jaw-dropping twist ending.

A big part of what makes this movie so compelling is the performances by Pitt and Norton. They play seemingly opposite characters who unexpectedly find in each other the perfect counterpart to their personalities. Without revealing the ending, the film’s climax offers a striking portrayal of what happens when we confront the most destructive aspects of our personalities.

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M. Night Shyamalan is a truly divisive director—some consider him a genius, while others find his movies contrived and difficult to follow. Regardless, most viewers agree that his 1999 film The Sixth Sense, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, is the pinnacle of his filmography.

The movie follows a child psychologist (played by Bruce Willis) who finds himself at a crossroads with a young patient named Cole, a boy cursed with the ability to see ghosts. Most of us remember its jaw-dropping ending (don’t worry, we won’t spoil it), which forever changes the way audiences experience the film on repeat viewings.

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Martin Scorsese’s 2010 thriller Shutter Island took an already unsettling location—a hospital for the criminally insane—and made it even more terrifying. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, the film follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels as he investigates a disappearance on the remote Shutter Island.

Based on the 2003 novel of the same name, Shutter Island is most remarkable for how its twist ending is meticulously built throughout the film. While undeniably surprising, the movie masterfully plants small clues and hints that, in retrospect, help it make sense.

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The private investigator genre is one of the cornerstones of modern mystery and thriller films. In that sense, the 1974 neo-noir mystery Chinatown feels like a love letter to the iconic films that helped build this genre.

The film follows Jake Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson), a detective initially assigned a seemingly simple case. However, what begins as a routine job soon unravels into a vast web of conspiracies, culminating in Gittes uncovering the shocking truth at the heart of it all.

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We can probably skip the spoiler warning for this one—there’s hardly a living soul who can’t quote this movie’s most famous line. Still, we promised you a completely spoiler-free article, so we’ll stick to our guns and keep the twist under wraps.

The Empire Strikes Back is perhaps the most perfect example of a modern twist ending. Everything about this reveal is unforgettable: James Earl Jones’ commanding delivery, the shot of Darth Vader’s unyielding expression, and Mark Hamill’s raw, emotional performance. Honestly, can you think of a more quotable line of dialogue in movie history?

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Who knew that feuding magicians could make for such a compelling story? Starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, the 2006 film The Prestige, based on the 1995 novel of the same name, follows the intense rivalry between two 19th-century magicians and the extreme lengths they go to upstage each other.

Not only does The Prestige weave a gripping narrative, but it also immerses viewers in the fascinating world of Victorian-era magic shows. On top of that, director Christopher Nolan delivers a jaw-dropping twist ending that left audiences flabbergasted.

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Let’s wrap up this article with one of the most literal examples of a twist ending. The 1995 film The Usual Suspects follows a group of robbers who become the focus of a police investigation. The entire story unfolds through the interrogation of a small-time criminal named Verbal Kint, who is being questioned about his connection to a mysterious and elusive figure known as Keyser Söze.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is its ability to keep the audience guessing about Keyser Söze’s true identity. It isn’t until the very last scene that The Usual Suspects finally reveals the real identity of this criminal mastermind. A secret that we’ll, of course, keep to ourselves.