There are a lot of things that scare people. Here’s a list of a few of those!!!

Top 10 Things in Every Day Life That Scare People

10. Darkness
The fear of the unknown, being unable to see, or something being out there in the darkness…a few of many reasons people are afraid of the dark. Some argue this fear is left over from our evolutionary ancestors who knew predators hunted in the dark…so we in turn fear the dark because the chance of being hunted is higher….or something like that.

9. Attics
Okay, not ALL people understand the fear of climbing/walking into an unfinished attic and searching through boxes of old things. Horror films use this trope a lot, but it’s a real fear…speaking as one who had a door to the attic in her closet when she was a child…it’s scary. I always expected something to come crawling out and pull me into the dark, dirty, bug-infested attic.

8. Basements/Crawl Spaces
This is a similar fear to attics…the difference being the fear of being buried in the ground. Basements can be places of safety for those who live in areas with tornado watches and such, but for others…they’re scary. For most children…they’re terrifying! What if there’s a monster living down there? What if the walls cave in? What if the house collapses?

7. Cramped, closed in spaces
Claustrophobia is a common fear. But even people who don’t suffer from it can agree there is a moment of fear when you’re forced to squeeze into a small space. Darkness usually accompanies these areas. Also, the intense fear of getting stuck/trapped in the small space is a common fear that prevents many from becoming professional spelunkers.

6. Large Open Spaces
This is a little known fear, but if you’ve ever stood in an empty parking lot alone…you’ve probably felt this fear. Another possible remnant from our evolutionary past, this fear is based in the idea of being unable to hide from predators. Being fully vulnerable if you will. Though, I’d argue this fear isn’t as strong as the others, the fact that it’s more of an internal, hard to realize that’s why you feel uncomfortable standing in a beautiful open field, feeling makes it just as scary.

5. Being Alone
Humans are social animals…some of us less so, but there is something that we all share. The fear of being alone. I’m not talking about dying without finding your life partner, or spending a few nights alone in a house…being TRULY alone. There’s a chance this is another remnant of our ancestors, being alone meant more likely to be hunted, but I like to believe it’s the fear of no contact, no communication, nothing but yourself and your own thoughts that makes this a fear.

4. Silence
There’s something about quiet that can be peaceful…unless there is too much of it. Too much silence can be unsettling. The world is not a naturally silent place. There’s always noise. Wind, bugs, animals, cars, planes, people, etc. But if you ever find yourself in a truly SILENT world…wouldn’t that be terrifying?

3. Loud Noises
On the flip side, loud noises that are unexpected tend to send a jump through anyone unlucky to be in ear shot. The famous jump scares of film come to mind, but there are natural occurrences as well….natural in the sense of not made for the express purpose of scaring someone. Imagine a car horn suddenly blaring outside your window. A train horn in the dead of night. Or even the scream of someone who is surprised. The sudden disturbance activates our fight or flight response…although if you been to any horror events at theme parks, you’ve probably seen the crumpled to the ground or flight response…

2. Sharp Objects
This one is a fear that really…gets to the point….I’m sorry. Anybut, pointy things are a common fear… needles, knives, and so on cause many to squirm in their skin. The potential of those points touching the skin and causing harm is more terrifying than anything really…except perhaps actually being stuck, prodded, or stabbed…

1. Bugs/Arachnids
Creepy crawlies…the feeling of something crawling on your skin that SHOULDN’T be there. Animals with an unnatural number of legs…their ugly little faces that don’t belong on planet earth but in some science fiction horror film….where’s the bug spray?

No honorable mentions this time…mostly because I don’t think the goosebumps and phantom bugs crawling on my skin will let me think of any more scary things.

Can you think of any other common things that scare everyday people? Make sure to comment!