Answer These Questions and We’ll Guess What Your Most Irrational Fear Is

By: Jennifer Post
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
Answer These Questions and We’ll Guess What Your Most Irrational Fear Is
Image: Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment/gettyimages

About This Quiz

Did you know that having a diagnosed phobia is actually a mental illness? People can also be afraid of things without having a diagnosed phobia, and they can certainly hold onto fears without going on a talk show where the host brings that feared things on stage to torment the subject. Maybe bugs really creep you out and any time you see a bug, you freak out. That's totally normal.

When the word "irrational" is in front of your fear, it means that your fear doesn't exactly make sense. It is normal to be afraid of a giant, barking dog, but it is irrational to be afraid of a little poodle with a bow in its hair. This is where the difference in fears, phobias and irrational fears comes from. Because irrational fears don't make a ton of sense to people who don't suffer from them, it can be hard to determine where the fear came from and why it is still hanging around.

But with careful consideration, and carefully worded questions, it is possible to figure out what your irrational fears are. Based on how you handle other situations in life, react to things out of your control, and even a deep-dive into what you were like as a kid can all be hints as to where your fear originated. Answer these questions and we'll guess what your irrational fear is!

Do you know what you're actually afraid of?
I think I'm afraid of not being in control
I don't like not knowing where my exit is
Honestly, I have no idea
I fear that I won't be able to have kids

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How do you deal with your fears?
Medication
Deep breathing and always having someone that I trust with me
I just avoid certain things
Try to just deal with it and hope I can move on

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If you were met with your deepest fear, do you think you could actually handle it?
I could if I absolutely had to
For a very limited amount of time
I think I could move past it
Maybe by immersing myself in it I could

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Do you ever feel worried about your ability to go about your daily life?
No, not at all
Sometimes I find myself in unexpected situations
Not necessarily
Worry comes and goes

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Are you the one putting pressure on yourself to deal with your fears?
It's mostly other people
It is myself, yes
No one pressures me to deal with them
It's mostly me and my significant other

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Is there a lot of information or resources out there about your fear?
Oh yes, I have a lot of support
Not in common places
I haven't met anyone else with my fear
I've found some, but it's limited

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Does your fear impact your self-worth?
Thankfully no
I feel no different about myself
It does a great deal
My fear makes me feel like a terrible person

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Are you actually afraid of something, or are you afraid of the worst possible outcome of interacting with that thing?
Oh definitely the outcome
It's the process I fear
I fear the thing itself
I've actually never thought about it

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Does knowing more about your fear help at all?
It really does, the more I know, the more comfortable I feel
It helps me cope, but doesn't eradicate it
Not really
I still don't even really know why I fear it, so knowledge is not power

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Is it possible that someone told you this particular thing was scary and that is why you fear it?
That is highly likely
It's possible, but I have no memory of it
I can't imagine anyone telling me this is scary
Everyone says the opposite, actually

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Is there anything in your childhood or in your cultural consciousness that might explain your fear?
9/11
My schools were really overcrowded growing up
Literally nothing
My mom had a baby when I was much older

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Have you ever seen a doctor about your fear?
Yes, to prescribe me something to relax
Nah, I just talk about it with loved ones
I don't know what kind of doctor would understand
I don't think a doctor could help

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How likely is it that you will actually encounter your fear?
It's only likely if my job requires it
Very likely
The more I think about it, the more I encounter it
Probably the most likely out of any fear I can think of

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What is the worst that could happen?
I could die
I'll have a panic attack
I'm actually not sure what would happen
I get super embarrassed

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If you had to pick the one thing you are most passionate about, what would it be?
Brunch
Meditating
Reading
Travelling

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Who is the one person you'd want by your side in a time of crisis?
My immediate family
My best friend
My grandparents
My significant other

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Do you miss out on a lot of life activities because of your fear?
Travelling
Concerts, parties, parades, etc.
I can't see a lot of movies
Motherhood

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Are there any regrets in your life?
I try to live life without regrets
Maybe the bangs
Watching the 2008 Olympics
Not being nicer to my siblings

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Self-awareness can be key in overcoming fears. Do you consider yourself self-aware?
About my fear, yes
I try to be aware of everything I do
I could definitely be better
I'm in complete denial, but at least I'm aware of it

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Are you curious about other people who experience your same irrational fear?
I know there are a ton of other people with it
I am, it would be nice to be around like-minded people
Yes, because I've never heard of someone else having it
No, I don't like talking about it

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Do you get offended when people tell you that your fear is irrational?
No, I totally get that it makes no sense
People are entitled to their opinions
Yes, to me it's very real
Sometimes, but I get over it quickly

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How willing are you to try alternate methods to help your fears?
I would love to be hypnotized
I don't think it's that serious
Depends what we're talking about here
I won't even go on anxiety medication

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When you are going through a rough time in general, how do you handle it?
Journaling
Solid ignoring
I talk about it
I try to go for a walk and clear my head

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Think about what you want for you future. Is it at all dictated by your fear?
Oh totally
Not consciously
I try not to make it a factor
Getting over my fear could be the difference between a future and no future

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Do you ever feel like just giving up and surrendering to your fear?
It's not that serious to my life
I can still live a full live with my fear
Sometimes, but I always snap back
Honestly, yeah.

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If you could change anything about yourself, aside from your fear, what would it be?
The shape of my eyebrows
My personal style
My complete disinterest in working
My selfishness

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Do you feel like you owe anyone an apology because of your fears?
No, those who love me understand
All of my friends
Probably, because no one gets it
Myself

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Could your fear just be something you use as a reason not to do something you don't want to do?
No, my fear gets in the way of something I absolutely love doing
Sometimes I use my fear as an excuse, but I don't think that's the root cause
That doesn't really apply to my fear
You know what, that makes a lot of sense

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Are you fearful of something because you think you might be bad at it?
No, I don't think that's it
Maybe in some circumstances
No, definitely not
I think I would be great if this wasn't in my way

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Despite your fears, are you happy?
Yes, I really am
I never know how to answer that question
Extremely!
I could be happier

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You Got: