Are you afraid?

Victor

I've been reading a few things recently and one thing that struck me was how some people feel afraid, going about their daily lives. Now I'm not talking about when they hear things go bump at night or walking down a dark alleyway, but ordinary day to day stuff like walking down the street or talking to someone you don't know. Each of the people expressing fear was a woman.

Sure, I have my own fears - needles, dead people, stuff like that, but they aren't everday.

How afraid are you in your day to day life?

Banter Joe

Depends on whether or not I have the Fear.

As this is Sunday, I'm terrified :eek:

Latchy

I am not so much afraid but when walking around any city at night I tend to become more aware of who's around me and would avoid to much eye contact with peeps but I imagine that's the norm for many of us .




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fits

Afraid of what exactly? Random attacks or accidents happening? I cant say I walk down the street in fear of something like that. I'm not even afraid of needles or the like. I have a slight fear of being taken out by some stupid driver when I'm on the road but its not huge.

My fears would be more life fears... about my family or my career or things like that. But I wouldn't even consider those significant.

Khannie

Victor: Your mates survey is closed.

I'm not afraid of anything really, not that I can think of anyway. I'm certainly not living in fear. I think people worry too much about bad things happening.

sam34

i dont go around the place afraid, as such, but i do have a good awareness and observation of everything going on around me, and i think i have a heightened sense fo personal security and safety.

im probably more conscious than the average person of doing things that moght be in any way dodgy.

Wibbs

I would have contextual fear or awareness. I mean if say a tiger jumped out of a bush at me I would leave a high speed trail of poo(puts big cats right off, so a good tip should it happen to you...) That's healthy enough. I think it's unhealthy when it's non contextual. Phobias and such. Though even there with many phobias I can see the logic. Fear of heights is sensible enough as falling from heights isn't exactly healthy. Ditto with fear of dentists as they are "damaging" you and causing pain/discomfort even if it's obviously helping.

I would agree though. A lot of people do seem to live on their nerves. Low level background fear with no real contextual basis to it.

Red Hand

Wibbs wrote: »

I would have contextual fear or awareness. I mean if say a tiger jumped out of a bush at me I would leave a high speed trail of poo(puts big cats right off, so a good tip should it happen to you...) .

Many big cats roll themselves in herbivore dung so as to disguise their smell when stalking said herbivores.;)

No, I wouldn't be afraid of stuff. Would be more cautious with my eyes open in certain situations-walking around a strange town at night etc.

Wibbs

Damned lucky I'm not a vegetarian then.

Red Hand

I'm sure it will work for omnivores too!:pac:

Clank

fits wrote: »

Afraid of what exactly? Random attacks or accidents happening? I cant say I walk down the street in fear of something like that. I'm not even afraid of needles or the like. I have a slight fear of being taken out by some stupid driver when I'm on the road but its not huge.

Needles do it for me.....*shudders*
Otherwise though no fears whatsoever.

Pythia

I'm afraid of walking around town at night on my own. Not used to it and all the junkies/homeless/drunk people scare me. I also work on the Green and wouldn't walk through certain parts of it on my own, even on lunch, as I know a few people who have been mugged in there.

Rhyme

Not trying to be a cocky badass (because I'm not, 5' 10", slim guy with glasses) but I only feel fear when given a really good reason to be afraid.

If I'm walking along on my own and I pass a group of threatening folks, I'll be more aware of them, not afraid. If I'm with friends and we pass said group of threatening people, I'd be more afraid of them trying something with one of my friends than with me.

I can see the reasoning behind a lot of the fear people might feel over things like that, it just doesn't click with me. It might be unknowing recklessness on my part, I just don't know since it's never been any different.

I have my own set of fears and phobias, they just don't come into play in the normal course of a day.

Will

Neither afraid or unafraid going about my everyday life. Take the old approach I was told when I was a kid about creepy crawlies; That they're more afraid of me than I am of them :pac:

Can't let fear limit your day to day life, if you do it isn't much of one then is it?

Faith

I'm somewhat afraid. I am very aware of what and who is around me, and I tend to anticipate the worst. For example, about 6 weeks ago, I went for a walk at about 8pm on a nice sunny evening. I went down by the Atlantic pond in Cork, and then headed along the old railway line towards Rochestown, via Mahon. It's usually full of walkers but that night it was really quiet. There was a guy walking in front of me, dressed in a tracksuit with his hood up. I held back behind him, and he occasionally glanced back at me. About a kilometre from where my exit from the line was, just at the border of Mahon, I saw a group of about 10 guys in tracksuits and hoodies run down from the bushes just by my exit, and loiter there. I slowed down more, and the guy in front of me joined the group. I felt really nervous - a blonde girl on her own, dressed in pink and clutching an ipod. If I'd been with another person, I'd have been fine, or if there was a lot of other people out walking, I'd have been fine. Instead, I got to within about 300m of the group and just felt to scared to walk past them on a deserted path. I ended up turning around and going back the way I came.

Now, chances are I would have been fine, but I wasn't willing to take that chance. They were probably just bored kids, but they could have been bored scumbags out for trouble. So as I said, I tend to assume the worst in the interests of my own safety. I generally wouldn't be afraid until something makes me afraid, if that makes sense? That night, I didn't think "I shouldn't walk down there on the off-chance there's scumbags", and wasn't afraid until I saw the group. So yeah, I'm somewhat afraid and have a heightened sense of what could happen.

rannerap

Ive never haf anything bad happen to me when im out so i dont really have any fear,probably not wise to walk home late at night by yourself in tallaght when your a girl or anywhere really for that matter,but it doesnt bother me.I dont have any other phobias really at all,needles are great,i hate the dentist/otrhodontist but i have to go weekly almost,i think heights are deadly.The only thing that im ever fearful of seeing when im out and such its rats or mich,but even thats due to a few incidents i had involving them:(

ztoical

My only fear is dentists and not too many of them lurking behind bushes waiting to jump out at me so spend my days pretty unafraid.

pikachucheeks

I'm afraid when I'm walking round town on my own, because I got mugged before. I just feel vulnerable on my own, in certain parts of the city.
If I'm walking to meet my friends in a bar in the evening especially. So many dodgy characters around!

I try not to live my life in fear though! A wise man once told me never to be afraid and to honour him, I've always tried to be as brave as I can and never to let being scared of something hold me back in life.

I get nervous walking down the halls in my college sometimes, I get paranoid if I see groups of people whispering and chatting when I'm walking by, or if people look at me. Probably means nothing, but sometimes, I do worry! I'm silly like that.

Nightwish

I'm never afraid. I dont know if it's foolish or not, but I think it could be down to living in the dodgier parts of Dublin when I was in college. I live back in Kilkenny now and I'd have no problem walking home after a night out. Even when I lived in Dublin, I always walked around on my own and never felt intimidated. I travel to various parts of Europe a few time a year on my own, and I go walk around the cities on my own, sometimes at night, after a gig, and again, I'm not bothered at all.

whatdoicare

I live in Limerick- I feel pretty much trapped in my home once it gets dark. I lived in Spain and Oz and used to go jogging at eleven at night quite happily- here even with a car I never feel quite 100% safe on my own.

ztoical

Nightwish wrote: »

I live back in Kilkenny now and I'd have no problem walking home after a night out.

Unless you have to walk up John St at the end of the night in which case it can be scary watching all the hen and stag people falling all over and vomiting on themselves

Nightwish

ztoical wrote: »

Unless you have to walk up John St at the end of the night in which case it can be scary watching all the hen and stag people falling all over and vomiting on themselves

No thankfully I dont live in that direction. Even at that, I dont fear the drunken zombies. I just laugh at them.

DancingQueen:)

Im a teenage girl and wasnt really scared until i got mugged a couple of weeks ago. Now im aware of everything around me maybe a bit more than i should be but don't want anything to happen again. I guess if you think your going to get mugged walking past a group of people it could happen. I was told to walk confident and tall but in my opinion if someone wants to attack you they will regardless of the way you walk.

annabellee77

I could probably do with being more "afraid". Am never worried about anything or going anywhere unless something actually happens.....:o

ztoical

DancingQueen:) wrote: »

Im a teenage girl and wasnt really scared until i got mugged a couple of weeks ago. Now im aware of everything around me maybe a bit more than i should be but don't want anything to happen again. I guess if you think your going to get mugged walking past a group of people it could happen. I was told to walk confident and tall but in my opinion if someone wants to attack you they will regardless of the way you walk.

sorry to hear you got mugged DQ and it's true if someone wants to attack they will...I got mugged several years ago in Dublin and I certainly wasn't walking scared. I think it's important not to let something like that control your life and how you live, I don't mean people should go running around all willy nilly with no worries, have sense and don't have your wallet/phone/ipod hanging out and stuff like that and walk confident.

panda100

I always feel quite safe walking late at night in city's. I love walking at nighttime in Dublin, theres a lovely stillness that makes it easier to appreciate the wonderful sights and sounds of the city.

I regularly walk home very late at night through what would be deemed as 'rough' parts of the city and have never had a problem. I think the fact that Im 6'1 is a bit of a deterrent. I grew up in London so have been street savy since a young age. I think If you keep your wits about you then there is no need to be afraid.

chocgirl

I'd say somewhat afraid. It's mainly personal safety that I'd be anxious of.

I suppose I avoid putting myself in any dodgy situations as much as possible. I rarely walk anywhere alone in the dark no matter what kind of area it is.

Also always check my back seat before I start driving, just a glance but I never forget. Little things like that.

Snowie

Its good to have a few fears it heightens your sences.
I dont really fear people granted 7 people kicking the living daylights out of me sounds pretty scary but on hole not really, you have a choice you can let whats happening to you happen or you can fight,I'd rather stand my ground I'd probably loose but at least I know I stood up for my self.

I do how ever think human beings have gotten them selves in to a cotton wool sleeping bags and are some what arrogant to nature and how destructive those forces are in general life but not only that I think children in general are being over protected bye modern society. I means as in play grounds they have that soft padding so when they fall they don't hurt them selves they don't cut there knee thus when they do land on something that hurts they cry like a baby.

But in total I don't think its healthy in the long run of thing's. people need to learn about risk that everyday you take risks and they need to feel physical pain as well as the feeling of how very insigneifanct we are on this planet.

Agent Smith

I'm a big guy, and well capable of looking after myself if push comes to shove, but there are a number of places where you really would stupid not to feel a little bit wary.

the same basic rule counts for all people. stay in well lit, crowded places. Dont be wandering down a lane at 4am for the 5 min shortcut, when theres a well lit road thats on your way anyway.

RacoonQueen

Never. Walked around town etc on my own in the small hours of the morning without a problem. If I was walking towards a group I'd probably just think 'they'll probably just shout something stupid at me' as oppossed to being actually scared of them. I have a friend who is afraid of EVERYTHING, there was a stage where she wouldn't get in a taxi unless it was ordered, she wouldn't come to my friends house after his party because 'it was a strangers house' and other **** like that.

Hagar

What an incredibly sad question. Ordinary people should be able to live without fear. It's a clear indication that our society is failing if people are afraid in their day to day lives.