I find insects (or "bugs", if you are in the U.S.) scary - and so do many others. I am not talking about debilitating arachnophobia, I just mean a dread of spiders and other small insects. So why is this the case? The reason is that our fear of spiders is actually the fear of the unknown. Just as many people, and children especially, are afraid of the dark or are afraid of the stranger at the door, they are also afraid of the secret, silent insect. Spiders and other bugs inhabit a dark and grisly underworld. They creep into crevices, go below the floorboards. They are usually not bound by barriers such as walls and doors. Somehow they make it into your living space no matter what you do to keep them out. They can turn up in the most unlikely places, having sat there for some time, silently, sinisterly, watching and waiting. The fact that they are so small means that they go unnoticed. We can't monitor their movements - they could be anywhere, even under our pillows when we go to bed! This is the unknown factor that causes so many fears. Such fears as death, being in darkness, and, for some, even the arrival of a long lost relative. These are all unknowns that can cause apprehension. In the 1950s many in the U.S. feared communism. There were, of course, those that had a rational dislike of the communist system. There were also, however, many who simply feared communists as one may fear an alien species, simply because they were an unknown and unpredictable force. Not everyone hates spiders. Many people will happily let spiders crawl all over them and even keep them as pets. Let's face it, spiders are an important part of the balance of nature. They do much good and are our allies. Apart from some notable and rare exceptions, spiders - and most bugs - are harmless. Despite this, the proportion of the population that has an aversion to spiders is high. Even if you do not mind them, I guarantee that you will know someone who does. The fear of the unknown can be translated into a lack of control. In other words when the lights go out we have less control over our surroundings as one of our senses is made redundant. If we see a menacing looking stranger coming towards us we have no control over them, whereas we have the measure of our family, friends, workmates and neighbours. Even the ones we don't like! Spiders are small and inhabit a murky, unknown world that we do not comprehend. If we could train them, perhaps talk with them and get to know them, then things may be different. But we can't. So we are not in control. The only way to regain control is to destroy them. And that is a pity, but that's the way it is for many. Do not fear, though. There is a remedy. By turning the unknown, borne out of ignorance and unfamiliarity, into the known and familiar, fears can be conquered, or at least tempered and managed. Fear of spiders is less common in rural areas than it is in urban areas. Countries that have an abundance of bugs do not have as many bug haters. Some people even are quite happy to eat them. In the UK, many turn their noses up at the thought of eating snails - another sinister looking creature that inhabits secret places - but happily eat whelks, which are basically marine snails. Shell fish has traditionally been a common part of the British diet (perhaps less so nowadays) but snails have not. This distinction between the familiar and the unfamiliar is the difference between fear and no fear. It's all in our heads, it would seem. Now, let us go one step further. Just to prove my point, you would surely think that an insect's scare factor would multiply several times if it could fly and not be confined to crawling on the ground. Generally, this is not the case. Flies and mosquitoes are flying insects, yet they cause less fear. Why? Simply because we are more familiar with them. We don't like then, but we are familiar with them.. If spiders were even more common and flies were a rarity, I guarantee that fear of flies would be much greater and fear of spiders would be much less. You see, familiarity, or knowledge, gives us control and conquers fear. And what of those flies? Whereas most bugs are harmless to humans, there are exceptions. Although we may not fear flies, most of us loathe them for their ability to spread germs and diseases. This means that we are obliged to kill them whenever they invade our homes and especially our kitchens. Perhaps that is another reason why we are more afraid of spiders. With flies there is no sense of guilt at killing them. Perhaps part of our fear of spiders is tied to the fact that we feel unhappy at doing them in. They terrorise us, but we know that they mean us no harm. |
