What do you make of snake-phobic people?

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

I understand what he meant, it gets very hard when they push their opinions on you over and over and over. Ok, I get it, you don't like snakes... blah blah blah...

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But I think you're talking about two different people. There are people that are genuinely afraid of snakes. They can't explain why... they may even learn about them to try to get over their fears. These are true phobics, and you shouldn't hate them.

But then there are people who don't take the time to learn anything, merely spout what they've been told or picked up along the way... IGNORANT people. They are NOT phobics. And yes, I too get irritated by these people. But the only thing you can do is keep right on trying to educate.

I guess I don't really hate anyone. LOL.

I think its pretty resonable to not like someone who hates your passion.

Okay, I agree... like I said, I don't really like people that spout off and tell me I'm wrong when they really don't know what they're talking about.

But we're still talking about two different things. You can be afraid of something and not hate it. As I said, there are actually many true phobics that TRY to learn about snakes so they can get over their phobia.

The true phobics are not the ones to dislike. They are the ones that we need to reach out to and help! It's the ignorant people who have no true phobia---they're fair game to dislike, especially when they push their beliefs on you with no solid facts or grounding. And even then, I far more prefer to try and educate---even if they're not so willing to listen.


I'm not trying to argue with you, hun. I'm just trying to say it's not really fair to push something on someone---or hate or dislike them---that honestly has a true fear of something.

I agree with you Ladywhipple; I think phobia is a kind of sickness almost, rather than a way of thinking you can change. My grandmother, for example, is absolutely terrified of mice and rodents. She can't even look at a picture of one without getting nervous. That really has nothing to do with ignorance.

After working in a pet store for a few summers, I have spoken to lots and lots of ignorant people, mainly about snakes, reptiles, inverts, and fish. At first I would get really frustrated and even spiteful to them. I now realize that you really can't hate people just for being misinformed, since it's honestly not their fault. If someone has no experience or knowledge whatsoever about snakes, for instance, and comes into a pet store with hardly a few cents worth of correct information about them, well, then, they're going to sound like fools to someone who's an ophidiophile. There's no getting around that.

The people who REALLY bug the crap out of me are the ones who simply REFUSE to learn or to correct their own notions... not because of a phobia, but because they are stubborn.

On the flip side, it always brightens my day to see a snake-nervous person let their curiosity get the better of them. :) :snake:

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Originally Posted by icygirl

The people who REALLY bug the crap out of me are the ones who simply REFUSE to learn or to correct their own notions... not because of a phobia, but because they are stubborn.

On the flip side, it always brightens my day to see a snake-nervous person let their curiosity get the better of them. :) :snake:

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It's always best to keep an open mind about anything! :)

THAT is what we in this hobby need to constantly fight... we fight ignorance with education. There are ALWAYS going to be people who are too stubborn to learn---and they are the true fools of the world because they will never learn anything new and live a stagnant, unhappy life.

But there are also going to always be people who listen. And, even if they have a true phobia of something, at least they're growing and changing within themselves.

a lot of my friends were scared of my snakes and thought i was some crazy person for a while, but as soon as i got them to interact with them most of my friends, guy or gal, lost some if not all fear. it all just depends on contact with snakes throughout a persons lifetime and knowledge cuz a lot of people will ask how big my bp's "fangs" are :laughing:

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

How can you hate them? How can you hate people that honestly have a fear of snakes? That would be like me saying that I love to fly and hate people that are afraid of heights.

It's the people that are ignorant---that do foolish, careless things---that you need to fight. Someone that has an honest fear of snakes... can't really help themselves.

Fight ignorance!!! :D

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yeah i understand. some people i know are afraid of them but they dont know why. most people i know are afraid of them because they "look vicious" or "they squeeze you to death" and stupid things like that. i was friends at one point with a few people(mainly girls) who not go anywhere near my snakes and all they did was talk crap about them. eventually i did stop talking to them since i couldnt stand their ignorant talk.

Can I just say that this is an awesome discussion? Kudos! :D

The Bible never says anything about having to fear snakes......

John

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

Can I just say that this is an awesome discussion? Kudos! :D

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No joke. It's a very interesting read!
As for my own comment on the topic, I love almost any kind of animal. I'm not so fond of the 8 legged critters, but strangely scorpions are ok. I come from a family where if the animal is not 4-legged, and does not have fur, it's not going to be in the house ( and not 'socially acceptable" to other family members). Basically my dad and I were the only two in the entire family who would even go into the herp house at the Zoo here. I've always had a natural attraction to lizards and snakes really. I don't think that I've ever been afraid of any snake in my life, and growing up in Oklahoma where there are plenty different species of venemous snakes, I was taught to just "stay away" and leave them alone if I encountered one. Ever since I brought my first BP home, I've noticed a drastic change in the reactions that my family members have towards snakes. This is most apperant in my grandmother. My grandmother had a phobia of snakes brought on my ignorance, and she would never even step foot into our house for about a month, but after talking about my BP, looking at her, and when she finally was able to pet Isis, she will now willngly hold her, and even took the "put the snake around your neck and look nervous as hell" picture the last time I was home with the critters.
And to top it all off, I've gotten my cousin started on herps with his first pair of leo's and they (and he) are happy as clams :sunny: