A YouGov survey of 2,000 people has ranked the things that British people are most afraid of. The survey asked people to rate a list of 13 phobias, and asked them to describe their fear levels for each one. Here were the top five things that terrified us:
Heights
Unsurprisingly, a fear of heights tops the list. We're not a nation of skyscrapers and vertiginous mountains. Most of us would rather not look over the edge of the Grand Canyon or climb a unsteady pylon for the rush of it. And given that vertigo gives some people the urge to jump, a healthy fear of heights seems completely sensible to us.
Unsurprisingly, a fear of heights tops the list. We're not a nation of skyscrapers and vertiginous mountains. Most of us would rather not look over the edge of the Grand Canyon or climb a unsteady pylon for the rush of it. And given that vertigo gives some people the urge to jump, a healthy fear of heights seems completely sensible to us.
Snakes
Since our rainy island doesn't welcome the deadliest types of snake, it's somewhat odd to see this phobia so high up on the list. We don't have to deal with the Black Mamba, a deadly snake which can move at speeds of over 12mph. Sure, you might see the odd grass snake or adder in the countryside, but you're unlikely to meet a boa constrictor on a cool spring night as you pop down to the pub. So why the fear?
Since our rainy island doesn't welcome the deadliest types of snake, it's somewhat odd to see this phobia so high up on the list. We don't have to deal with the Black Mamba, a deadly snake which can move at speeds of over 12mph. Sure, you might see the odd grass snake or adder in the countryside, but you're unlikely to meet a boa constrictor on a cool spring night as you pop down to the pub. So why the fear?
A fear of public speaking
This one is understandable. Gazing out on a sea of expectant faces would give anyone sweaty palms. There is an entire industry devoted to helping people who cannot face speaking publicly, so we won't try to give you too much advice. But have you tried imagining the crowd naked?
This one is understandable. Gazing out on a sea of expectant faces would give anyone sweaty palms. There is an entire industry devoted to helping people who cannot face speaking publicly, so we won't try to give you too much advice. But have you tried imagining the crowd naked?
A fear of spiders
As with snakes, the UK isn't exactly overrun with poisonous, fanged arachnids. But the recent panic about False widow spiders, and the oft repeated myth about eating spiders in your sleep might have contributed to a slight shiver in our collective consciousness. Are you feeling something crawling up your arm right now?
As with snakes, the UK isn't exactly overrun with poisonous, fanged arachnids. But the recent panic about False widow spiders, and the oft repeated myth about eating spiders in your sleep might have contributed to a slight shiver in our collective consciousness. Are you feeling something crawling up your arm right now?
A fear of small spaces
This doesn't only apply to the shoebox sized living spaces we can barely afford thanks to the housing shortage, but to the primal fear of not being able to escape a confined place. No wonder some people over the years have devised 'safety coffins,' which have bells and breathing tubes installed just in case the departed haven't departed all the way.
The rest of the list comprised of a fear of mice, fear of needles, fear of flying, fear of crowds, fear of clowns, fear of the dark, fear of blood, and a fear of dogs. Tell us what you'd add to the list. What are your top phobias? Come and scare us in the thread below.
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