scary

It's always interesting to think about what causes us to be afraid of something. And why are there so many common phobias? It seems like there are more people who are creeped out by spiders than are not. Clowns are also just plain disturbingto most people, at least in my circle.

Between men and women, women are usually the ones expected to have more fears. This conception is mostly because, well, you know... misogyny. But really it seems unlikely that gender or sex has anything to do with how easily spooked we are.

On a new Reddit thread, men are confessing their most pressing fears. These guys sure deserve an A+ for openness.

The world of astrology is much bigger than a lot of people might think. It's kind of like a cult continuously recruits members from all over the world. It seems that there also might be tiers of followers too. Some people just know their sign and a few qualities that come along with it; some people know all the signs, and the dates, and read their horoscope daily; and some people know their sign, and your sign (definitely before you told them), they know when mercury is in retrograde and when your moon is out and about. Simply put, they know too much, and I'm not embarrassed to say that such people terrify me.

My fears don't stop me from laughing at these very extra Tweets though.

We all have those secrets that we can only hope and pray will never come out unintentionally. Some secrets are innocent, like having a hidden sexuality, or a niche hobby. But some secrets are literally incriminating, like fcking somebody you know damn well you shouldn't have fcked, or filming something you know damn well you shouldn't have filmed. Sometimes we spend years hiding these events, and we have to gradually convince ourselves that these stories are forever in the past, but then you get drunk one night and tell someone, and suddenly the secret is not only yours to hide anymore.

If you've ever known something about someone that eats away at you at night, you might relate to this Reddit thread.

Women are very perceptive. When she sees a man's place for the first time, there isn't a lot that goes unnoticed. Of course, this can be very unnerving for men. But this shouldn't stop them from inviting us over, they would be surprised at how much we notice, but still don't cancel them for. Little things like dirty dishes, unfolded laundry, and messy cabinets are to be expected — we are all still slowly figuring out how to adult. However, there are some things that scream "GET OUT, NOW."

Some things are simply too much, and this Reddit thread outlines a few of the best ones.

The line between what is and is not creepy can be very thin. One of the plus sides of being a woman is that we are rarely accused of behaving creepy (even though we all do from time to time). However, for men... Well, they have to figure it out quickly. You can't just stare at a woman for an extended period of time, even if you find her hella attractive. It's not a compliment, sorry. 

Unfortunately, there's no real guidebook for how to avoid being creepy, and it can depend on the relationship. All I can say is if you think there's any chance you're potentially making someone uncomfortable just stop <3.

Okay, this is definitely a thing. As girls, we usually all learn about what being pregnant is before we fully understand what sex is. This results in a delay of information, a disconnect you might say. We know that we are the gender that has babies, but what leads up to that? Some parents will try to scare their kids by saying that they can get pregnant in all kinds of ways. Thank god we have the internet these days. Just try not to get sucked into the "I didn't know I was pregnant" stories.

Nobody can control their dreams, and it can be really frustrating sometimes, like when you're trying to run away from a monster and you are making no progress. Ugh, it's annoying just thinking about it. Sometimes dreams can be nice though, even pleasurable. Every so often you realize your true feelings for someone because they popped up in your REM. But sometimes you have an intimate dream that is just messed up. It happens to everyone, nothing to be ashamed of. Just... remember it's only a dream, right?

You've heard of the Grinch that stole Christmas, and now, here is the Grinch that stole the Christmas joy from a bunch of terrified kids. These funny pictures of kids being scared by the Grinch in an Instagram-worthy photo shoot have resulted in some hilarious holiday cards, at the cost of traumatized kids.

Whether it's the classic "We need to talk," or seeing a bunch of missed calls from your mom, we all know what would trigger us if we woke up seeing it on our phone screens. A Reddit thread asking people for the worst text message to wake up to has revealed some heart-stopping answers, which I know would send me into full-blown panic mode if I received them. Scroll through and see if any of these (nuclear threat warning aside), trigger you and bring up any bad memories. 

Falling into or being placed into a coma is scary stuff. Hovering between life and death isn't something that anyone would undergo out of choice, but it's still a fascinating concept for people to comprehend. Obviously one can never know what it's like unless they've experienced it themselves, but unfortunately plenty of people have been there. A Reddit thread asking people to describe their experiences of being in a coma has shed some light on the scary realities of being in such a vulnerable position. Here are some of the responses.

Just because we're in the middle of a global pandemic and museums are closed, doesn't mean we can't see the exhibits inside them! And thanks to a tweet from Yorkshire Museum, you can now see some of the most sinister objects in the world, as submitted on Twitter by museum curators. The Yorkshire museum created a week #curatorbattle on social media for museums around the world to showcase their creepiest exhibits, and museums from all over the world have taken part. If you're up for seeing creepy things in a jar, chopped up dolls' faces and severed fingers, keep scrolling down below. 

"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'... into the future."

Time is moving forward so freaking fast and we CANNOT HANDLE IT. Seriously, if these 25 tweets don't freak you out even a little bit then you're either lying or having a full-blown panic attack and have yet to acknowledge it. 

Don't worry, we're currently in the denial phase ourselves, and the panic attack is an ending wave crashing down on us. Not to sound dramatic or anything. 

You'll want to check your vents and attics after reading this thread...Ahead of Halloween, people are sharing #ScaryStories. One writer shared a tale that might make it harder for you to fall asleep.

Yikes. These stats are making us feel comfortable.

Very, very uncomfortable. 

Sometimes, you come across something that makes you pause, this is one of those times. Apparently, there is a Facebook page called, "Toilets With Threatening Auras," and we've never been more intrigued, and terrified, at the same time. We've never really given much thought to an aura of a toilet before, but of course you'd want to feel safe when you're relieving yourself and at a vulnerable state. These images are truly the exact opposite of anything resembling comfortable...

These toilets below to omit a threatening aura.

This is a terrifying story that could've ended very differently. And it's sad that it took her stalker's death for it to stop, and the only way she was able to experience relief and gain control of her life once more. 

Twitter user, @johnniejae, shared her terrifying experience as a teenager, having an a stalker. The encounter started innocently enough, at the library and just escalated from there.

Did you know that an estimated 15.2% of women (18.3 million women) have experienced a form of stalking during their lifetime that made them feel in fear for their lives? 

Additionally, an estimated 5.7% of men (or nearly 6.5 million men) have experienced stalking victimization during their lifetimes. And among female stalking victims, an estimated 60.8% were stalked by a former partner.

Pretty scary, wouldn't you say?