Why is darkness scary?

[Numb1lp]

So I'm not the only person who still likes Riddick?

 

[Last of the Chinchillas]

So I'm not the only person who still likes Riddick?

Not at all. Seriously, who didn't love Pitch Black? That movie was fantastic.

 

[Numb1lp]

One of my favorite sci fi movies of all time. Of course, behind Arachnaphobia.

 

[Necrofudge]

Well its mankind's insecurity to not be in control. And if you're not in charge with all five senses, how the hell could you be in control?

 

[Booze Zombie]

The dark has always been scary, because you never quite know what's in it.
It's this place where all superstition seems to come to life for humanity.

 

[Ace of Spades]

I can't see as well, and it makes it easy for things to hide, I'm always on edge.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Darkness isn't scary.

The angry guy with a boner is.

 

[Deleted]

Have you ever seen the God of Death naked in the dark? If so then you know what I mean.

 

[ironlordthemad]

because you cant see chuck norris in the darkness (unless he lets you see him of course) and when you cant see chuck, you may as well just fall over dead

but on a serious note, curlycrouton nailed it with the 2nd post of the thread, we fear what we dont understand and we dont understand what we dont see and we dont see anything in the darkness

 

[McNinja]

Humans fear the unknown, and they don't know what they can't see. I know I do. It's kind of annoying, really.

 

[Tanfastic]

You don't know whats out there when its dark.. That's scary right?

 

[ShotgunShaman]

Shadow Piranhas.

 

[IronDuke]

I don't think darkness by itself is very scary, it is more a combination of being in a dark and unfamiliar place, and being there alone. There is nothing scary about being in the dark in your bedroom, or at a music concert at night surrounded by people. Take your night to a sewer or abandoned subway station though and it gets creepy.

Or, you could just man up!

 

[khaimera]

That game was not scary at all. It was complete crap.

I he means the essence of darkness not the game.

I he was making a joke. The question has already been answered too extensively.

 

[ForgetRealism09]

The dark isn't scary when you use it to your advantage to frighten the hell out of everyone else. hehehe

 

[magicmonkeybars]

there is no point in fearing the darkness, just fear what's hiding inside of it.

Well what IS hiding inside of it...?

I don't know, too dark to see.

 

[Baby Tea]

The majority of fears stem from an aversion to the unknown, the intimidating and the uncertain.

What sums up these attributes better than darkness?

Exactly.
You can't see, that's the problem. You don't know what's there. Friend? Foe? Who knows!
It isn't the darkness itself, but rather what the darkness can conceal.

 

[Rottweiler]

Well, it's the control factor. Lack of a sense you normally rely heavily on throws off your balance and your mental conditioning. Most people don't realize how heavily they depend on sight rather than hearing, or even sense of touch. Not being able to see makes you feel less in control, and therefore you are nervous and uncertain.

Plus, there's the rather reasonable nervousness that Riddick could indeed be in the shadows. He does that.