# Poll: What Most Frightens You ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159 "2003-09-27T14:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/61 "2003-09-29T06:50:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MmmDonut \* > **What Most Frightens You ?** Taco Bell ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/62 "2003-09-29T09:18:27Z")
Torture, or torturous suffering. There’s nothing more terrifying than how pain can break a person, and how it’s not uncommon for a person to undergo it during their life. I don’t want to face what I would choose to die rather than endure, I don’t want to experience anything so horrible that I would betray loved ones to make it stop. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/63 "2003-09-29T13:57:47Z")
[ul] [li] The thought of getting caught in a swarm of angry wasps (yellowjackets, hornets).[/li][li] Becoming ill and frail by the time I am an old man.[/li][li] Losing my job and losing many of the things I enjoy having/doing.[/li][li] Seeing a supernatural being or event before my eyes. This would really freak the hell out of me.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/64 "2003-09-29T16:18:04Z")
For me, it’s growing old alone. See, there’s only me and my mum, and I’m not in a relationship, so I’m very aware that if anything ever happens to her, I’ll be completely alone in the world. She’s only 47 and in good health, so it’s not exactly a rational fear, but then very few fears are. So I’m terrified that I’ll never meet the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, never have kids, and then I’ll lose her…and be completely alone. Just thinking about it makes me feel so sad and scared. ---
**Author:** ![Fnoonf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Fnoonf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fnoonf)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/65 "2003-09-29T17:10:33Z")
Wasps or bees. Basically, anything with stripes and a stinger. The bigger the insect in question, the greater my feeling of unreal horror. Incidentally, I just had my first nightmare in years, and part of it was not dissimilar to the dreams described by **Lobsang** and **kung fu lola** , only mine was more eerie and less gory. I’d turned on the TV and found, to my surprise, that the only thing playing on any of the channels was black-and-white footage of burning buildings. The creepiest thing about it was how the editor of the material had taken his time, lovingly cutting between different wide and close-up shots of the buildings, showing first this blazing window, then that flaming corner, etc. The camera loved what was happening. And there was no sound, no narration, nothing. Just burning buildings. OK, now I’m creeped out again. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/66 "2003-09-29T17:31:33Z")
BIG insects, especially huge frickin’ moths - they creep me out completely. Drowning. My daughter is convinced that I’m afraid of clowns, because ever since she was tiny I’ve joked about it. I’m not really, but if I’m with her and a clown shows up, I’ll scream like a girl just to make her laugh. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/67 "2003-09-29T17:59:27Z")
I’m not afraid of death but I am afraid of burning to death. Torture, threatened with that I’d sing like a bird, tellthem things they really didn’t want to know and I’d make up stuff also ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/68 "2003-09-29T18:05:47Z")
Zombies. That’s all. Nothing special. Just your typical run of the mill Zombies. ---
**Author:** ![WonderChile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@WonderChile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WonderChile)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/69 "2003-09-29T19:19:52Z")
The dark, cockroaches, vampires (the fact they don’t exist doesn’t matter so much in the middle of the night). ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/70 "2003-09-29T19:33:42Z")
Losing control of my kids. Losing one of my kids lives. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/71 "2003-09-29T20:50:10Z")
Ninjas. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/72 "2003-09-29T21:22:11Z")
Something bad happening to our children. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/73 "2003-09-30T01:24:00Z")
The way our country is heading. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/74 "2003-10-03T02:48:05Z")
Nuclear War and Carnies. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/75 "2003-10-03T17:08:29Z")
My fear: failing to do my part in team missions / family matters / work situations. Lots of folks count on me; I sometimes feel that I am not adequate for the task. A very humbling moment, that. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/76 "2003-10-03T17:42:10Z")
Decapitation. Metal touching my teeth. But these are minor compared with the biggie. My husband is in poor health. The thought of him dying just destroys me. Julie ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/77 "2003-10-03T18:03:52Z")
I think once you have kids you never quit fearing for them. I fear for her now since she’s young and could be stolen. I’ll fear for her when she’s old enough to go to school, when she leaves for college and when she’s off on her own in the professional world. It never stops. She’s always on my mind and I’ll always want her safe and healthy and happy. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159/78 "2003-10-03T21:13:21Z")
Dogs barking - I can be around HUGE dogs and be fine, but as soon as a dog barks (even if it’s just a labrador) I can feel my pulse quicken, I become more alert to my surroundings, etc., I’m petrified. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-what-most-frightens-you/204159.md?page=3)