The fear factor

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

Image: Brian Lundquist

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!

Image: Olga Nayda

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!

Image: Chad Madden

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.

Image: Markus Krisetya

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.

Image: Alexander Grey

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?

Image: Tim Mossholder

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!

Image: Marina Vitale

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.

Image: Pisit Heng

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.

Image: Eli DeFaria

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!

Image: amirali mirhashemian

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?

Image: Daniel Páscoa

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!

Image: Marvin Meyer

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?

Image: Robby McCullough

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.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES MERCI IS NOT ENOUGH

Traveling Abroad? Here’s 10 Foreign Phrases That Might Come In Handy

Image: Anna Gru

Even if the English language functions as an Esperanto of sorts, allowing us to communicate with people from all over the world, it is advisable to learn at least a few words from any country we are visiting. Not only does it ingratiate us with the locals, but it also teaches us about the language and, thus, the culture of the place we are exploring. The following ten phrases and words are useful expressions that will surely arise in conversation multiple times during your trip. Read on and see if you already know any of these!

Image: Brett Wharton

Let us start at the beginning here and talk about the first word that should come out of our mouths when speaking to someone for the first time. While the word "hallo" is an accepted greeting in German-speaking countries, there is a more colloquial word: grüezi.

And if you are feeling even more informal, or familiar, you can go with hoi, which is similar to saying "hi."

Image: Nguyen Thu Hoai

The second thing one should say when making a new acquaintance in a German-speaking country is simply, "How are you?" The correct term is Wie geht’s? It expresses a polite interest in the other person and it sets a friendly tone for the ensuing conversation.

If the person you are talking to asks back, you can reply, "Mir geht’s gut," meaning "I am fine."

Image: Who’s Denilo ?

Moving southward into more Mediterranean lands, we can find ourselves in Italy, with its musical language and colorful expressions that have common roots with Spanish and French, but not so much with English.

That is why it is advisable to know how to say, "Do you speak English?" in Italian, just in case. The correct way of saying this is Parla Inglese? When your limited Italian is getting you nowhere and both of you know it, this is your bailout phrase.

Image: Juan Marin

Another highly advisable thing to learn when going abroad is how to ask for directions when nature calls. If you are in Italy, the correct way of asking "Where is the bathroom?" is Dov'è il bagno?

It doesn’t get more important than needing to use the bathroom. This is how you ask for a restroom without using gestures.

Image: Hendrik Morkel

Moving on to Spanish-speaking countries, we have to offer a simple yet highly useful phrase that we can use when asking for directions, and not just the bathroom. The correct way of asking "Where is…?" anything is ¿Dónde está…?

You can complete that expression with whichever place you are looking for. For example, ¿Dónde está el restaurante? (Where is the restaurant?), ¿Dónde está el parque? (Where is the park?), etc.

Image: Helena Lopes

Being honest about one’s limitations is always good advice, especially when you are having difficulties speaking with someone in a foreign language. Chances are, the person you are speaking to will understand the situation and help you communicate.

Saying No hablo español muy bien means in Spanish, "I don’t speak Spanish very well."

Image: Atikh Bana

Another useful expression, this time meant for asking for something, be it a glass of water, a meal at a restaurant, or anything else, is this French version of "I would like," which is Je voudrais.

That’s how you start your order, followed by the food or drink off the menu. These two words can also be used in other situations, such as at a metro station to purchase train tickets from a vendor or anything else "you would like."

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Once you have finished your French meal, you will probably have to pay for the pleasant moment with a few Euros (or Dollars, or Bitcoins, or what have you). At this point, you will have to ask for the check.

The correct way to ask for the bill in French is l’addition, s’il vous plaît, which simply means "check, please."

Image: Kate Bezzubets

We will move on to Portuguese-speaking countries for these last two entries, starting with another universally useful expression: the ever-present "excuse me."

If you’re passing through a crowd and need to politely ask someone to step out of your way, you can say Com licença. A word with a very similar meaning is desculpa, which can be used to attract someone’s attention.

Image: Junseong Lee

What better word to finish this article than with a goodbye? Portuguese people have a few ways of doing this, but the most common is the gentle-sounding adeus.

Another popular way of saying goodbye, more informally, is simply, tchau.