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I am afraid
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| Nekavaen | Date: Friday, 18.02.2011, 10:08 | Message # 31 |
 Head teacher
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| Once I saw a little girl holding a spider in her arms. Hm, the spider was not so big but very fluffy and really scaring. Even I, the person who’s fond of wildlife in all possible forms, started trembling. I have got used to my mothers’ reaction to these animals. You know, when she sees a spider at home, she always runs out of the room in terror, shrieking and crying “Oh, my God! Kill it! Destroy it! Throw it away!”. But that girl had no fear at all! It amazed me. I decided to find out the reason. I came close to her and said, “Hello, you are so brave! Aren’t you afraid of the spider? Doesn’t it seem dangerous and nasty to you? Little girls often prefer to play with kittens…” The girl cast up her eyes and looked at me with an extremely serious face. She answered, “Firstly, I’m not little. I’m six already! I’ll go to school next autumn! Secondly, I’m not playing – I’m busy with an important business that can change my life. Thirdly, other girls play with kittens because they don’t know what I know…” And she smiled slyly. “Well', said I, intrigued. 'I didn’t mean to offend you. Now I see you’re big and serious. Please, tell me your secret. Why aren’t you afraid? I pledge my word of honor I’ll keep it forever”. The girl examined me from head to foot and said. “OK, listen. (Even now I can’t understand why she decided to trust me.) A year ago I was afraid of spiders. I couldn’t tolerate them. I couldn’t even look at them. I hated them. But then my uncle, who lives in another city, came to visit us and helped me to understand how stupid I had been! In the evening, I asked him to read me my favorite Russian fairytale “The Frog Princess”. When we came close to the moment when Ivan Tsarevich kisses the frog and it turns into a beautiful Princess, I said that many people are afraid of frogs and toads because touching them can result in warts. My uncle smiled and said that it was a stupid fake, about warts, but charmed Princes and Princesses really exist. They are imprisoned inside disgusting animal bodies and are waiting for beautiful girls and strong boys to set them free. He said it was stupid to be afraid of spiders. Who knows, maybe a noble Prince or (that’s more likely) a fearless Spiderman is hiding inside. From that very moment I take each spider I see into my hands and wait for a few minutes. I believe some day I’ll find a spellbound one and the warmth of my hands and the kindness of my heart will turn him into a human again. He’ll marry me and we’ll live together forever!” “Good luck”, said I, smiling and the girl smiled in response.
I think it’s a creative and working method of fighting with the phobias of boys and girls who believe in fairytales. 
It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)
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| Former-Teacher | Date: Friday, 18.02.2011, 13:34 | Message # 32 |
 Dean
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| A lovely story. BTW, it reminded me of my wife. She is also afraid of spiders of all kinds and always runs away shrieking and kicking after she has confronted a spider-looking thing!
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| BlackAngel | Date: Monday, 11.04.2011, 18:21 | Message # 33 |
 Monitor
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| I have little fears. I'm afraid of the height. I'm afraid of other insects:Spiders,Butterflies, Grasshoppers....
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| Luck | Date: Tuesday, 12.04.2011, 12:23 | Message # 34 |
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Union organizer
Group: Friends
Messages: 172
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| I am very afraid of dogs, as for the other animals or insects or "things" then-no. When I was small, I was afraid of the darkness very much, and I could not enter the room if there was no light there. But once my mom asked me to bring something and that thing was in a dark place (well, and there was probably no opportunity to switch the light on!:)) and I was so scared! But then I just made myself to step into the room and I realized that there were no monsters or other creatures inside:) So I just understood that we simply "create" strange and scary myths in our minds and then get scared of our OWN thoughts. So just do not think that a huge crocodile lives in your attic and then you will not be afraid of it! As for the insects, then I am not afraid of them, I just think some of them are really disgusting but not scary.
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| Nekavaen | Date: Tuesday, 12.04.2011, 14:41 | Message # 35 |
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Head teacher
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| When I was a little child, I was afraid of big black moths. They are so shaggy and fat! 
It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)
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| lovefootball) | Date: Saturday, 30.04.2011, 19:21 | Message # 36 |
 Dean
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| Boo!!! It's comletely the fault of our cartoons, I'm absolutely sure! I don't remember their names literally but there figured huge detestable (!) dressed insects...How terrible, really! The most stupid and ridiculous thing is that they had some problems, hesitations, feelings and of course they were supposed to preach us a moral! Well, I do love cartoons, no matter who (or what!) the main characters are but upon my word immense speaking flies are the last straw!)
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| Rina | Date: Sunday, 22.05.2011, 22:59 | Message # 37 |
 Union committee president
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| Quote (BlackAngel) I'm afraid of other insects:Spiders,Butterflies, Grasshoppers.
I really wonder, how can one be afraid of butterflies? They are so fragile and beautiful. But still there are a lot of people, even among my friends who are afraid of them... Why? Quote (lovefootball)) It's comletely the fault of our cartoons, I'm absolutely sure!
Nowadays when I come across different cartoons I was watching in my childhood, I can't but wonder - what's that??? Some of them are really inadequate, the characters are drawn in a repulsing manner, some of these cartoons seem like one's nightmare, not a thing for children to watch. Now I DO worry that they can damage childrens' psyche. But when I was a child, I didn't care about that - the very cartoons seemed pretty (may be strange, but at least nice) and they didn't make me afraid of something... May be the idea that some cartoons provoke fears is just a prejudice? May be they develop child's imagination and can even help him overcome some problems? Dunno... but watching my little cousin I tend to think so.... As for me I'm afraid of spiders, too. Brrrrr.... And i'm also afraid of... no, let me say "I'm irritated with" open doors. Just because I can't feel comfortable in a room when the door isn't close 
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| Luck | Date: Wednesday, 25.05.2011, 21:43 | Message # 38 |
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Union organizer
Group: Friends
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| people do afraid of butterflies and it's mainly because they are "grown up" caterpillars, and I think you'll agree with me that some of them do not look nice at all)) and I should agree with the girls, some moths look really so disgusting and when I hear them flying somewhere near me, I just try to wave them away- not because I am so frightened but because they are so unpleasant!
- - -
Correct into: People are really afraid of...
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| Rina | Date: Wednesday, 25.05.2011, 23:03 | Message # 39 |
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Union committee president
Group: Friends
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| Quote (Luck) some of them do not look nice at all))
Oh, yes, I remember! We've already discussed this question! You said that butterflies have "ugly faces"  Actually, I had never thought about their "faces" before you told me that... Before that I had been absolutely charmed by their wings))))) but... Yes, you are right - THIS looks very unpleasant
P.S. Those who can't stand this image, please, forgive me!!!
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| Former-Teacher | Date: Friday, 10.06.2011, 12:37 | Message # 40 |
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Dean
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| I'm also afraid of various insects but have never thought of their being ugly. BTW, the insect in the photo above is so naturally beautiful, is so miraculously enchanting, is so fragile and soft! Why don't you like it?
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| Tanya | Date: Saturday, 11.06.2011, 19:40 | Message # 41 |
 Course monitor
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| I'm afraid of heights and it always has bugged me why some people are completely comfortable at high heights, while others are not. What causes this phobia? Many scientists think explanation is that this phobia stems from fear — fear of falling and being injured or killed. They also think that this is a normal and rational fear that most people have. And in the Internet I found one of the ways how to overcome this fear.
"Take a ladder and make absolutely sure that it is secure and safe. Each day, try going up the ladder, one step higher at a time. Your confidence will build as you feel safe and secure at that height. You will retrain your brain that you 'can do it'".
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| Rina | Date: Saturday, 11.06.2011, 22:48 | Message # 42 |
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Union committee president
Group: Friends
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| Quote (Teacher) Why don't you like it?
Dunno, I have always liked different insects - butterflies, caterpillars, grasshoppers, all of them except for spiders, because I have real arachnophobia. And I tend to believe that it was the very reason - the very insect in the pic (and especially its hairy body) reminds me of spiders... And when I think about spiders I can't but shiver...
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| lovefootball) | Date: Sunday, 16.10.2011, 11:58 | Message # 43 |
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Dean
Group: Users
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| Actually women ans insects is a byword. I've always considered myself among those rare exceptions who are absolutley indifferent to any bugs but... Last summer we made a trek to the country with my parents and on our way home I sudenly noticed a huge (almost enormous, really))) grasshopper in the car just right near me. Well, my Dad had a good laugh while I was shouting at the top of my voice, "Take this green rascal away!"))) That's the story) So as you might have guessed I don't go into raptures at the sight of insects either.
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| Zuzu | Date: Monday, 17.10.2011, 14:11 | Message # 44 |
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| Do you by any chance know that our fears help us live, to strugle against death? It's normal to have fears. I've heard of one woman who has no fear at all. Can you imagine? I can't. She's afraid of nothing.There isn't any thing she's scared of. That's why she was examined by some scientists. They didn't find out any impulse, any sign of fear. They drew a conclusion that it wasn't good at all to live without fears because when you fear you try to escape a bad situation, a dangerous consequence. So don't worry about your fears. It's a wonderful sign that you are still alive.)))
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| Former-Teacher | Date: Friday, 21.10.2011, 10:44 | Message # 45 |
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Dean
Group: Admins
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| So, it means that a sense of fear is part of our self-defence mechanism, a kind of 'gene' that is responsible for adequate behaviour and self-protection. To survive, man needs a lot. To fear, then, means to avoid danger or death. So, if the 'fear' gene is proportionally set in into our immune system, things tend to be alright!
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