# Are you afraid of the dark? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 30, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820 "2005-04-30T02:46:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/21 "2005-05-02T09:43:44Z")
**The Sausage Creature** , I just giggled so hard at the term “brain myself” that I caused my boyfriend to stir in his sleep. Completely forgot about that term. Must use it more often! I’m not generally afraid of the dark, but if I am in certain moods, I prefer to sleep with a light on. Mainly if I am sick, sad, or worried. Having things to look at prevents me from mulling and worrying as I’m trying to sleep. If it’s dark, though, there’s nothing there to distract me, and all I can think about is how sick I am, what’s making me sad, or what’s worrying me. And there have been certain times when I have freaked myself out and decided to sleep with the light on just in case! **Sarah Woodruff** also just reminded me of what a great feeling it is to have a dog asleep in the room. I miss that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/22 "2005-05-02T22:33:18Z")
Sometimes, after pondering, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. But as a rule, no. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/23 "2005-05-02T22:48:22Z")
Nope, I love the dark. During hunting season, I’ll go out before daylight by myself to get where I’m going and hike in the dark without a flashlight. My eyes adjust pretty well. I don’t like all the ambient light that comes with living in town. I like the starlight. And I can walk through my house in full darkness almost as fast as in the light. Until I hit the legos in my bare feet, but that’s being afriad of _legomus underfootus_ more than the dark. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/24 "2005-05-02T22:51:51Z")
Nope. I’ve never been afraid of the dark, and my room has to be as dark as possible before I can go to sleep. If I encountered any boogie men, we’d probably end up having a jam session. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/25 "2005-05-02T23:04:24Z")
\ It’s the only thing stopping me from being a highly trained international ninja spy. ---
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/26 "2005-05-02T23:13:46Z")
The only time the dark kinda freaks me out is during a wicked storm. The kind where the howl of the wind sounds like the malevolent ghost of Hitler shaking my apartment from side to side (I live on the top floor of a building with no basement. More so if it’s a wicked retarded blizzard, cause then you know even if you absolutely HAD to go somewhere, you couldn’t. Bonus points if the power goes out. Those are the times I make sure my guns are all in working order. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/27 "2005-05-03T01:14:57Z")
Yes. In rooms with reflective surfaces. You never know when you’re living over an ancient Indian burial ground… ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/28 "2005-05-03T02:14:12Z")
I’m not afraid of the dark, but I do find it annoying sometimes. It gets in the way of seeing what I need to see, dammit. Otherwise I find it soothing. My first complete sentences were about the dark. “It’s dark now. Let’s go home.” ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/29 "2005-05-03T02:27:00Z")
I’m not afraid of the dark, either inside or outdoors. I’m another one who needs total darkness for sleeping. Out-in-the-countryside kind of darkness doesn’t bother me in the least. However, if it is dark outside and I am inside with the lights on, thereby making the windows mostly reflective, the blinds must be closed. _Must_. Because otherwise I just know that a face will appear at the window out of the darkness. And yes, the irrational feeling is stronger when the room I’m in is more than one story above the ground. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/30 "2005-05-03T13:02:22Z")
I used to be scared of the dark, but I got over that. Now I love the dark… and how can I watch you sleep without the dark? Bwahahaha!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820/31 "2005-05-03T13:38:46Z")
Yes. I posted more of an explanation in the “What do you hate about yourself” thread, but I’m scared to search for it right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-afraid-of-the-dark/301820.md?page=1)