By Chip Byteley
It’s the middle of the night, and you’re about to drift off into a peaceful slumber when suddenly… creak. Your heart races, your eyes snap open, and for a moment, you’re certain a monster from your childhood nightmares has found its way under your bed. Welcome to the world of irrational fears, those pesky, illogical anxieties that seem to bypass the reasoning part of our brains and go straight for the panic button. From the classic fear of escalators snatching your shoelaces to the terror that grips you when you’re the last one to leave the office, let’s dive into the 8 irrational fears we all secretly share.
1. Escalators: The Shoelace Snatcher
The irrational fear that your shoelace will get caught in an escalator, pulling you into a mechanical abyss. Despite knowing the odds are slim, you still find yourself double-knotting your laces or lifting your feet a little higher as you step off.
2. The Dreaded “Seen” With No Reply
After pouring your heart out in a message, you see the “Seen” notification pop up, but no reply comes. The silence is deafening, leading you down a rabbit hole of paranoia. Did you say something wrong? Are they mad at you? The possibilities are endless and seldom rational.
3. The Midnight Creak
That inexplicable sound in the middle of the night that convinces you there’s definitely a ghost/serial killer/alien in your house. Logic dictates it’s just the house settling, but your adrenaline-fueled brain is ready to confront a supernatural entity with a flashlight.
4. The Unending Staircase in the Dark
Descending a staircase in the dark is an exercise in terror. Each step feels like a leap of faith, with visions of unseen steps or hands reaching out from the shadows. You know your own home, but in the dark, it transforms into a scene from a horror movie.
5. Public Speaking: The Imaginary Audience of Critics
The fear of public speaking isn’t just about being in front of a crowd; it’s the irrational belief that every person in the audience is an unforgiving critic waiting for you to slip up. You imagine a sea of judgmental faces, hanging on your every word, ready to pounce on any mistake.
6. The Pool’s Invisible Menace
Swimming alone in a pool and suddenly being overcome by the fear that something is swimming beneath you. A logical part of your brain knows it’s impossible, but the primal part is convinced there’s a shark in the chlorinated waters.
7. The Creepy Crawly Shower Scenario
Taking a shower and closing your eyes only to be seized by the fear that when you open them, you’ll come face to face with a horror movie villain—or worse, a spider waiting on the shower wall.
8. The Phone Call at an Unearthly Hour
Receiving a phone call late at night or early in the morning instantly sends your mind racing with catastrophic scenarios. Even though it’s probably a wrong number or a friend who’s forgotten the time difference, you brace yourself for the worst news imaginable.
While these fears might seem irrational or even humorous in the light of day, they’re a testament to the power of the human mind to conjure scenarios far beyond our everyday realities. They remind us that we’re not alone in our anxieties and that sometimes, a little fear is just part of being alive. So the next time you sprint up the basement stairs or check behind the shower curtain, remember, it’s just your brain keeping you on your toes.
Liv N. Large 
Polly Tickle