Phunny Phobias
If you met someone who was afraid of paper or wax statues, wouldn't you tell them to stop being so ridiculous and get over it? Every Monday, Null editor Hayley hand-picks another bizarre phobia and tries to work out whether it's real or rubbish.
This week:
Decidophobia: fear of making decisions
What's so scary about it?
Sure, making decisions can prove a little difficult sometimes. Like when you reach for the once opened jar of pickle at the back of the fridge and open it to discover a tiny speck of something suspiciously green on the rim. Now it hasn't actually touched the pickle, and despite the fact that it has been open for longer than the recommended six weeks, you reckon that the fact you've only opened it once means it will last longer. Plus, that green speck could just be a bit of stray broccoli. It's a tough one.
What do the scientists say about it?
One Sidney Monas, who I'm not entirely convinced is a scientist, calls decidophobia a "modern intellectual disease". Does this mean you can only be afraid of making decisions if you're a genius, or is he inferring that decidophobia is the thinking man's choice of disease? I can't decide, but neither is convincing. However, some American scientists have actually patented a group of compounds for treating decidophobia, as well as a list the length of my arm of other odd anxiety disorders including tropophobia - fear of moving. This gets less credible the more I look into it.
Hayley says:
"I'm dubious. It's got to be Rubbish."
So far: Real 5 Rubbish 4
Find phunny phobias from other weeks here.
Null's other regular features (more coming soon):
Tuesday: Nutty Nomenclature
Thursday: Peculiar Periodicals
Erratically: The World in Brief
Image: Nihan Aydin
Share this
