The Glade 4.0

co-worker (out of the blue) : What's so irrational about that?
me : Huh?
co-worker : This woman just walked by and she was telling someone that her daughter has an irrational fear of getting water in her eyes. What's so irrational about that? I don't like getting water in my eyes either.
me : What exactly is it about getting water in your eyes that you're afraid of?
co-worker : Huh?
me : Well, take those animal cookies on your desk. If they could somehow hurt you, and you were afraid of them for that reason, that would be a rational fear. Since they can't hurt you, it would be irrational to fear them.
co-worker : No, I'm saying it's not an irrational fear. Lots of people don't like water in their eyes.
me : Sure, but if water in the eyes isn't harming you in any way, it's not rational to be afraid of it. That's the meaning of irrational fear.
co-worker : Whatever, just ... never mind.

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Go back to zero, take a pill, and get well ~ Lemmy Kilmister

It's reasonable to be scared of unpleasant feelings.

Yeah, water in my eyes burns like a *****. I'd say that's rational. (Although if one could not provide a reason "why", that does constitute irrational, by definition, right?)

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That's a common fear in kids.
A lot of kids don't like bathtime because it involves getting their faces wet and possibly getting shampoo/water in their eyes.
Same thing with learning how to swim...they don't want to put their face in the water for fear of getting it in their eyes.
*shrug* I think its an innate fear and most people grow out of it at some point in childhood.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

So you're saying my co-worker is still a child?

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Go back to zero, take a pill, and get well ~ Lemmy Kilmister

Heh, yeah I guess I am.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

It's surely irrational to fear what is only irritating or uncomfortable.

Unless it has 8 legs or slithers on the ground.

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In time, this too shall pass.

The fact that lots of people are, does not make it rational.

You can have an irrational fear of anything, even if it is harmful. What makes it irrational is if the fear is out of line with the potential harm.

Being afraid of falling is rational. Being so afraid of falling that you cannot walk up stairs is not rational.

It seems pretty rational to me to have an avoidance response to unpleasant stimuli.

Also, if you wear soft contact lenses, getting tap water in your eyes rates anywhere from "very unpleasant" to "painful".

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Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go,
And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

There's a difference between the rational "I don't like it and I'll try to avoid it" and the irrational "This thing freaks me and I'll go to any lengths to avoid it,and I can't even handle hearing it mentioned". Avoidance is rational, phobic response is not.

I don't like it when someone sticks a finger in my belly button. It's uncomfortable and weird. But I clean my belly button just the same. Shel and I know a women who NEVER touches her belly button even to clean it, and freaks out of you touch your own belly button where she can see it.

RATIONAL FEAR: I am afraid of poisonous spiders crawling on me.

IRRATIONAL FEAR: I can't leave the house on Halloween because some people decorate with plastic spiders.


RATIONAL FEAR: I try to avoid getting my face wet when I'm not prepared because I'm afraid of getting water in my eyes because it burns.

IRRATIONAL FEAR: I put a towel over my face when I shower so that no water can possibly touch my face ever. I have panic attacks if someone challenges this behaviour as irrational. (same girl as the belly button thing)