Where did we go wrong?

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Originally Posted by PurplePython

i have a rose hair and its such a docile little thing. I think mine actually enjoys being handled, although all of them are different. I have seen a rose hair flip out on some people and I have seen some completely calm and docile and fine with being held.

Just hold a tarantula or spider one time and I am sure you will change your mind.

I used to be deathly affraid of spiders/tarantulas too. Then I held my very first one, and immediately I felt so uneducated about my fears. They are defensive just like ball pythons are. They wont strike or "bite" just for the heck of it.

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Oh I'm not like afraid of them like OMG they will eat me or bite me scared. They are just creepy. If I look into it's fangs and eyes I wanna run away like a little girl. Haha that is the only thing I don't like. I can do ANYTHING else.

What's interesting is I was terrified of snakes growing up as a kid, it wasn't until a few years a go I tried it and let me tell you, it just takes some understanding. I now have 14 snakes in my collection and I love being around them, especially my carpets, and my sweet 6' Dumeril's Boa. I believe we are taught by our parents what to fear.

I'm not sure about anyone else but I have to agree to an extent. I can't say im afraid of snakes because I now own one, I was a little nervous about it at first but I have never really feared them. But spiders just creep me out, I think they are awesome when in a tank like a tarantula but anything outside of some enclosure just creeps me. I could learn to get over it I guess but for some reason, most people get like anxiety attacks whenever they see a snake or spider.

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Originally Posted by DJ_Bizarre

I'm not sure about anyone else but I have to agree to an extent. I can't say im afraid of snakes because I now own one, I was a little nervous about it at first but I have never really feared them. But spiders just creep me out, I think they are awesome when in a tank like a tarantula but anything outside of some enclosure just creeps me. I could learn to get over it I guess but for some reason, most people get like anxiety attacks whenever they see a snake or spider.

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i guess we can thank the movies anaconda and arachnaphobia for that.... lol

it probably does have a lot to do with the media and movies. after I saw jaws as a young kid, I am now terrified of going in the water.... even fresh water scares me.

Eh, I know that scientists aren't anything to bet your money on, but I thought the article was funny because I can name about 20 people off the top of my head that own or are in love with snakes, including myself.

It just made me think who are they to say what the human race can and can't be afraid of? My next thought was that if all humans develop this fear, then would there be something psychologically wrong with those who don't fear these animals? :P

And then I laughed, because no one will ever really have the answers to things like that.

People love what they love, and fear what they fear. It presumptuous to say otherwise. :) It just made me giggle, and I wanted to know how others would interpret something like that.

I still think spiders are creepy as all get out, though. :D

i think this is kinda right, i have twin brother and sister, and i had snakes since they were born [[they're 4 now]] and since they were little the girl would FREAK if she came near one of my beauties but ashton[[boy]] loves them, since he was a baby he would play with them and now even calls my normal boy "his" and named him and sneaks into my room to play with them, so i think this is partly true.... i on the other hand, have suffered from arachnophobia since i can remember, and growing in colombia i would see lots of tarantulas, and would immediately faint [[yup...like plop]]

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Originally Posted by MissLeMew

Eh, I know that scientists aren't anything to bet your money on, but I thought the article was funny because I can name about 20 people off the top of my head that own or are in love with snakes, including myself.

It just made me think who are they to say what the human race can and can't be afraid of? My next thought was that if all humans develop this fear, then would there be something psychologically wrong with those who don't fear these animals? :P

And then I laughed, because no one will ever really have the answers to things like that.

People love what they love, and fear what they fear. It presumptuous to say otherwise. :) It just made me giggle, and I wanted to know how others would interpret something like that.

I still think spiders are creepy as all get out, though. :D

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Do you have a link to this article? I find it hard to believe they'd actually have any real proof of this. It sounds more like a theory to me. From what I've seen young children are least fearful and most fascinated by snakes than any other age group.

It's not a clear cut study - obviously - but I guess t's something that they've concluded.

Here's the link:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...nakefears.html This is an older study, from back in 2001, but I guess there's been "break throughs" recently, as I heard a little blurb about it during the hourly news on the local radio station, and decided to look up what was going on.

If you search for it, there's other recent articles by other sources. It's interesting, and it may have some ground, but I still think it's something that's influenced by more than just instinct and such. Until they actually cut into a human brain and figure out what the heck is really going on, I'm not going to decide on it one way or another. :P

Here's one from msnbc:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35459615/

Obviously, humans aren't crickets, but stuff like this is always fun to read about, whether you agree with the scientists or not. :)

I'm cool with anything that has less than four legs... :)

I do not have a fear of ANY animal. I do, however, have a healthy respect for those that COULD do me harm. For instance, today, I was helping my friend with her horse. I do not fear horses in the slightest. In fact, I love them and wish I could have one. She needed to see if he was lame and needed someone to sit on him to add weight while he trotted. I have not been on a trotting horse since I was 7 and have no clue how to sit on a horse. So this probably was not a good idea for me to get on him while he trotted and at one point, I was afraid I was going to fall off him, but that was a fear of falling from him, not him. He's a big sweet heart!

I have a healthy respect for hots. I will never touch one or come close to one. Am I afraid of them, no. But I don't want to get bitten either, and so keep my distance. I would not call that respect, "fear", just being smart.