dubious studies

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The Truth About Women & Spiders
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gherkinfiend
08/28/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I have often been the fearless spider catcher around the many men I know who are scared of them...they don't bother me at all, but put me near a wasp and I'm a stereotypically shrieking hysterical woman.

In fact after 30 years of having every summer event ruined by my phobia, I'm trying hypnotherapy to combat it and it's really helping. I recommend it to other bug fearers out there...
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snark_shark
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I grew up a major arachnophobe. It was a learned phobia; my mom admits her fear influenced my sister and me. A few years ago, I saw someting that changed my hateful opinion on them: [www.telegraph.co.uk] That's the Hawaiian Happy Face Spider. It was a total sea change for me. My 'tude was, spiders are icky ugly and evil, so then I see some cutie with an anime happy face like these [2.bp.blogspot.com] I had to change my mind.

After that, I started to learn about them if only to conquer my phobia. Eventually the geek in me kicked in, and I love 'em now. And some of these guys are just downright adorable: [www.birdsoman.com] Heck, even Cute Overload featured a jumping spider [cuteoverload.com]

So, in conclusion, arachnophobia is learned, and can be unlearned.
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JennyJazz
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I was bitten by a brown recluse spider in 1994 and had a bad reaction (kidney failure) and I STILL am not afraid of spiders, nor would I be comfortable killing one.
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sybann
08/27/09

@JennyJazz: YOU are a rock!
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JennyJazz
08/27/09

@sybann:
Thanks, though you wouldn't say that if you ever saw my pre-flight rituals which include a number of xanax pills. Or the fact that I keep the TV on all night when my husband is out of town because that keeps the serial killers away!
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sybann
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
Ticks and leeches WAY worse
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Edited by sybann at 08/27/09 5:48 PM sybann was starred sybann was unstarred

sybann
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
When your mom screams "KEN!" - well, hell. You are going to expect that something wicked this way creeps ON WAY TOO FUCKING MANY LEGS.

I try NOT to kill them and am cultivating a couple of Riders in the garden. It helps to remember they're girls... They eat the boys. Yet another reason to like them. : )
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Edited by sybann at 08/27/09 5:45 PM sybann was starred sybann was unstarred

cwisto moweina has got yer goat
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I'm ok with spiders that create webs and stay in them because you know those spiders have invested in the community. They have their home and I have mine and we respect each other.

It's those transient hunting spiders with no sense of personal space that I hate. They're public nuisances, really.
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randomnessish
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
There was a time as a little girl that I expressly was not afraid of spiders--I think because my mother and sister were so freaked out about them and I wanted to be different. But then I realized that they were a horrible affront to nature and that nothing with that many legs that poops web should live.
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amsci
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
Spiders don't bother me... in fact, my parents told me as a kid that spiders were good luck, that they brought money. I remember my Dad brushing his lotto ticket on one once. ;)

Centipedes on the otherhand... fdsf#$#@EE2rewWReefds
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Lady Skittlehattington
08/27/09

@amsci: We are fear twins. Fuck centipedes and their many-footed evil. Snakes? No worries. Spiders? Hahaha...don't make me laugh. But centipedes? *shudders*
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amsci
08/27/09

@Lady Skittlehattington:

Exactly. OMG they are so fast and they seem to know when you're contemplating killing them.

When I see one I nearly turn into those ladies in the cartoons who jump on a chair and hop around while holding on the the hem of their skirt.
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WashingMyHair
08/27/09

@amsci: We were taught that if you kill a spider, it's then going to rain.

I've never encountered a centipede, but I have encountered silverfish, who also have lots of legs and are fast as can be. They kinda freak me out.
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Stagtasticfantastic
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
Not scared of spiders a bit (unless, you know, they're about to give me a fatal bite) but I am utterly traumatized my maggots and similar things. I know nobody LIKES maggots, but I am completely irrationally horrified by them.

I know a guy or two who is terrified of spiders, too.
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lavenderstain
08/27/09

@Stagtasticfantastic: its ok, i have an irrational fear of birds....although it probably has something to do with my dad's obsession with Hitchcock and his insistance that I watch Birds at a very young age...
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lavenderstain
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
and ps. I fucking Love Charlotte's web. that movie made me cry.
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lavenderstain
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
Last year I worked at legal aid, and there were ALOT of crawlies in the office. I often had to kill them (sorry bug rescue ppl, those creatures are just too gross), because the guys in the division were too scared to.

not all girls are scared of spidies.
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redqueenmeg
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I think we are all neglecting the real issue, which is clock spiders. [www.fazed.org]
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sybann
08/27/09

@redqueenmeg: nonononononono!
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EkaterinaBallerina
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
Well this is funny. My male co-worker and I once got into an argument about what's scarier, spiders or snakes. I said snakes (especially after I heard about a friend's snake attempting to prepare to eat her). He said spiders. He lived with a snake and thought they were harmless. I've had spiders in my room and not only were they harmless, but I even named them.

So there you. Some studies are total crock.
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R_Claw
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I'm not afraid of things that crawl on the ground, but I'm deathly afraid of anything that flies. You just can't predict where it will go next (like my hair)!!!!
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Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith
08/27/09

In reply to The Truth About Women & Spiders
I don't like them, but I've never really been afraid of spiders (I do scoop em up with a glass and paper to relocate, tho), but that said, if you lived in a country that produced these, spiders would seem rather innocuous looking...
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Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith
08/27/09

@Vivien Smith-Smythe-Smith: (Although they look freaking scary, it must be said that Weta are harmless, and should not be squished, either!)
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