Overreacting friend

[MissterDog]

On the same note you need to understand their fear. Can't just go one way. You like snakes so you're only seeing it from your end. We all have fears. She is entitled to her opinion. As you are entitled to own a snake.

If it is fear, then yes, but op mentioned her friend didn't express a fear of snakes.

I agree it goes both ways, which is why I feel op's friend also needs to be willing to compromise which it sounds she is not. If she really cared about her friend, despite her fears if they are legitimate, then she would try to work around them. I'm afraid of babies. I get panic attacks whenever I hear them cry or see them, they legit freak me out to the point I sometimes can't breathe and have to lock myself in some secluded room. It's not a fear most understand or bother to understand, it doesn't stop them from showing pictures of babies to me, trying to get me to hold their babies, inviting me to their house, invading my personal space. It's not a globally accepted fear like snakes. People are so quick to say we need to understand other's fears but it's generally limited to what fears are considered 'normal'

However, I have friends and family members who are popping babies everywhere. I can't always escape it, and some of these relationships I really want to keep, so I have to ask myself, just how important are these friends to me, and is it worth me making an effort to meet halfway? Imagine how I must appear to others if I were to say " you have a baby so I'm not setting one foot in your house. You have a baby don't bring it to lunches. You have a baby don't talk about it with me. Keep that thing away from me"

This baby I consider a horrific thing is the world to them. As a friend it's up to me to try and at least appreciate their point of view and TRY. My fear will never go away, but it can improve and has been, but the only reason it is is because I was willing to give it a go because I chose to care about what was important to my friends.