Found an interesting website that lists the Top 10 Fears in America. Here’s the list:
- Speaking in public
- Snakes
- Confined spaces
- Heights
- Spiders
- Tunnels & bridges
- Crowds
- Public transportation (especially planes)
- Storms
- Water (as in swimming & drowning, not drinking)
_____________
What I know about fear:
- Fear paralyzes.
- Fear often keeps you from doing what you are supposed to do and often makes you do things you are not supposed to do.
- Some fear is healthy (For example, being afraid to tickle fight a grizzly bear is healthy.)
- Let your fears be replaced by confidence in God’s plan for your life.
- “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
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#1 for me Sharks! I seriously have panic attacks when I am at the beach and get out in the water and all of a sudden I find the friends I was swimming with are 20 feet away and I can’t see my feet in the water. I watched Jaws at way to early of an age! it is sad. The ironic thing is I love watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I guess I figure if I learn more about my object of fear it will help me overcome it, but so far that has not worked out.
Sean – I guess that what happens when you grow up on the beach. I never have had a huge fear of sharks. I guess growing up in Ashland City, Tennessee will keep the fear of sharks away.
1. Tornados
2. Snakes
3. Sharks
Sharks are third only because they cant drive. and I am not going to be in hteir enviroment.
I used to love storm and stuff when i was younger, but now that I have a family and home of my own, i guess i now have more to lose.
later
I am speaking in a couple weeks about “keeping Up Appearances” and seeing how fear causes women ( and men) to be overly concerned about our appearance. We don’t like speaking in public because of the possiblilty of failure/ridicule etc which keeps us from doing the work of the cross…sharing Christ with our family and neighbors. Paul said, “I am not ashamed (afraid of my appearance before you) of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation .” ( I am to be a follower of Paul as he was of Christ I Cor 11:1)
We do not see the power of God working salvation in the lives of others because we are afraid/ashamed to share it with others and watch what happens. The enemy of God keeps us walking in the fear of man so we do not obey the command to go unto all the world to share the good news.
The list you are using pre-dates September 11, 2001. Life has changed and so have the fears of the average American.
The list you used is often cited to impress people into trying to improve public speaking skills.
In 2008, the book of lists shows Apiaphobia as the current top fear (public speaking is number 5 – it represents a cocatenated fear of a-embarrassment, b-acceptance and c-crowds.
Apiaphobia is “fear of Bees”
Tell me with whom you go and Ill tell what you do.