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:
Deipnophobia: fear of dining or dinner parties
What's so scary about it?
I think we can all empathise with this one; a dinner party is a disaster just waiting to happen. Not only are there rules of etiquette - and countless items of crockery - to be broken, there's also the task of keeping the conversation with your prospective in-laws/mum's estranged cousin going all evening.
What do the scientists say about it?
Unbelievably, this phobia actually makes it into the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology, which, I'm assuming, was put together by a whole bunch of psychologists. I do wonder, however, whether they thought they'd try to sneak it in for a laugh. There seems to be virtually no mention of deipnophobia elsewhere in the scientific world.
Hayley says:
"Well, it's one of the most credible we've seen, and I've got admit, dinner parties are pretty scary. Real."
So far: Real 13 Rubbish 14
Find phunny phobias from other weeks here.
Null's other regular features:
Tuesday: Nutty Nomenclature
Wednesday: Doctor Doctor
Thursday: Peculiar Periodicals
Friday: End of week timewasters
Erratically: The World in Brief
Image: Mike Rose
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