Poll: Are you afraid of the dark?

[MagusVulpes]

I'm not afraid of the dark, per se, but I am terrified of the Ninjas and Zombies (and possibly Zombie Ninjas) that i know lurk in the dark places.

Also Grues.

 

[Moosh50]

I'm over 6 feet tall. I'm always afraid that I'll hit my head in the dark.

 

[MindBullets]

Yes, when I'm walking a dark road, at night or strolling through the park, when the light begins to change I sometimes feel a little strange, a little anxious when it's dark...

Seriously though, I was occasionally a bit afraid of the dark for a while, before I realised it was more of a fear of the unknown. It wasn't the dark that scared me, it was the thought of what might be in it. Now the fear has just quietened to the point where I'm alright with the dark, but if I'm in bed at night and I hear something move I will feel a slight jolt of fear and tense up a bit. It's usually something falling over for normal reasons (draft of wind, slipping, etc).

 

[LittleJP]

No, I have very good night vision, and living in the country, the only thing I generally have to fear is wildlife.

That fear has been multiplied by playing minecraft recently. I now carry a bow and some arrows whenever I go outside now.

 

[Jon Shannow]

No but i'm afraid of upturned plugs in the dark, that had to be the most painful moment of my life

 

[Woodsey]

No.

And are you sure there wasn't more to it then that?

 

[CrazyGirl17]

...Somewhat.

(Word to the wise: never watch the "Top 100 Scariest Movie Moments" from beginning to end late at light. It's not good for your sanity.)

 

[Jordon Churchill]

i dont think they are afraid of the dark they are afraid of the unknown

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

I'm very happy in the dark in a place I'm familiar with, like my own home, or up on the hill I live by. Not so much so in places such as the town I live near, but I suppose that's more discomfort than fear.

 

[Lyx]

No.

I may feel afraid of stumbling over, or walking into something, when in an unfaimiliar dark area, but that's not really what people usually mean with fear of the dark.

 

[Radoh]

Of course not that would be silly, I'm not afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of what could be in the dark. It's the unknown that scares/intrigues me, not the lack of light.

 

[Jodah]

I wouldn't say I am afraid but I do get paranoid if I am in an unfamiliar territory in the dark. Thats to be expected though, as it is a natural reaction. (Fight or flight and all that.)

 

[Bobbovski]

Not really. I'm easier to creep out when it's dark.

 

[MrAkuma201]

I'm not afraid of the dark. I do think you should be afraid of whats in it.

 

[Lyx]

If people actually voted according to what has been said in posts, then the poll is screwed.

 

[Artemicion]

No. I'm the scariest thing in the dark.

 

[SwimmingRock]

It's not a fear of the dark, it's what is in it that I'm afraid of, generally.

This was precisely the realization that allowed me to stop being afraid of the dark. I'm 6'1 with long hair, a beard and absurdly wide shoulders. Once it occurred to me that I'm actually what makes most people afraid of the dark, I didn't see why I should be. Seriously, people will run away or cross to the other side of the road if they see me walking towards them at night. What do I need to be afraid of?

 

[Dystopia]

I'd much rather be in the light, because a) I have SAD, and b) I can't see in the dark. I'm not scared of the dark though, just less comfortable. Mostly due to the masses of huge spiders no doubt waiting for me in it...

 

[hutchy27]

I used to watch a lot of horror movies when I was young, I was scared of the dark but not since I was about 10 then I was alright. I'm kinda claustrophobic though.

 

[tahrey]

I voted yes, but only because - again - there's no "not really afraid of darkness, but definitely afraid of what can be hiding in it".

I'm fine with a lot of dark situations and places, when they can be reasonably trusted to be safe, but some - like being home alone in a house that make odd noises, or dealing with a flat tyre on a deserted-SEEMING country road on a moonless night, can be incredibly creepy... leading to at least a low level light (5w CFL or whatever) being left on in the hallway/landing for mental comfort's sake, and always keeping a couple of torches in the car so there's one spare for shining around the surroundings (or into an unexpected companion's eyes) without disturbing the one shining towards what you're working on. Or in case that one breaks and the car battery goes flat, leaving you completely isolated and at the mercy of ... whatever the hell it was just made THAT noise...

Can't help it, my genes have been passed down from tree dwelling, diurnal apes for whom such paranoia was a worthwhile defense system, and I have an overactive imagination / subconcious that likes to torture me with the ideas of various things seen/read in the (very few!) horror movies or literature I've allowed myself to experience. Like, I know it's not real (in the same way that the audience watching when I have to go out on stage isn't about to either boo loudly or rush forwards and attack), and I can tough it out if necessary, but the ol' limbic system doesn't give a crap about that. For a couple pounds a year equivalent in electricity and bulb replacement (or torch/battery purchases), it's worth it for the reduction in involuntary cortisone production.

Bizarrely, camping out in a field on the welsh coast, where there's arguably a lot more real danger, and traipsing about to/from pub, toilet block, seafront, tent by nothing more than the few photons my scotopic vision can scrape out of the patchy starlight? NO worries. Maybe it's just a very specific flavour of claustrophobia?