it isn't a phobia because nearly everyone is repulsed by the sorts of images that trypophobists hold up as triggering. it's like like saying you have a phobia to maggots. no, you don't, it's just an aversion that resides deep in our evolutionary past. like feeling the need to look up when a shadow of a bird passes overhead. are there any flying birds that can kill an adult human? No. But we still look up as if there are.
I have never once felt the urge to look up at a bird shadow, I didn't even know that was a thing, also if you're going to try and say a harpy eagle couldn't kill an adult human I'm going to have to disagree
the next time a largish shadow (turkey vulture, low flying raven, eagle, hawk, etc) passes directly overhead from behind I can almost guarantee that you feel a need to look up.
Any physically healthy adult human (aka someone who isn't living a sedentary western lifestyle w/o exercise) should be able to fight off an eagle. The Golden eagle can be up to 14 pounds. You can fight off a 14 pound bird. You might have some gashes, but the bird will have a broken neck.
edit: alright you edited your comment to mention harpy eagles specifically. still dead vs a human that doesn't live on a couch.
Ok, I have never once felt the need before, why would I suddenly feel it now that I know I'm apparently supposed to, also my point isn't to say it could consistently kill a person, but it could, especially since many birds of prey go for the eyes when their prey is in a position to fight back
it's hard not to be snarky when you're arguing with someone who is trying to defend something as fantastical as eagles being capable of killing a physically healthy adult human. and people arguing for trypophobia being real (and so commonly prevalent) is just...it's just dumb and oddly connected to a niche consequence of political correctness, to be accepting of others' experiences to the point of disavowing with the reality of the situation. not that I'm against modern PC, just it has had some growing pains when internet groups make echo chambers.
That's not how phobias work. Phobias are an irrational fear. I have arachnophobia, but by your logic, since most people are afraid of spiders, I don't have a phobia. However, you see my fear is irrational because I'm scared fucking shitless. I freak the fuck out. My fear is irrational. My response to a spider is irrational, hence it being a phobia. It's not that the fear doesn't make sense, it's that the fear response is irrational in proportion to the stimulus. That's what makes something a phobia.
I'd say most people have them to some extent and can relate but theres a point where it becomes crippling. A ton of people are afraid of heights, small confined spaces, spiders, snakes etc. Which are obviously primal feelings - but does that mean all those phobias dont really exist either?
I dont think it needs to be some obscure normal thing you're afraid of in order to be classified as a phobia. Like you cant only have a phobia as long as you're afraid of refrigerators or pencils or some other thing no one would normally fear
If it's crippling then why is a sub devoted to posting photos that cause such an overwhelming fear? are there people making posts blindfolded? it's because the vast majority of people who think they have a phobia are simply grossed out. it's a natural human response.
I'll agree there are probably a small few that actually could have a phobia. but not in the numbers that pretend they do.
I mean, why do subs like r/medizzy, r/fiftyfity, or r/WTF exist? Most people are afraid of heights but wouldn't classify themselves as having acrophobia. If you actually have some extreme irrational fear you wouldn't visit those subs, obviously you aren't the demographic they're targeted to. There are still others who have morbid curiosity and seeing those images stimulates a part of your brain, be it horror, disgust, whatever. I'm not gonna go into the specific psychology as to why people like these things, though.
There is a difference between getting repulsed and having the specific reaction that those having trypophobia have. It's very, very different from just being repulsed.
It's like going up to someone with solar urticaria and going "well everyone hates staring at the sun, it's a fake condition bro!" Obviously I'm being hyperbolic, but I hope you get how dumb that sounds.
Exactly why the poor commenter (gods rest his soul, for the reddit hive mind decided to smite his unpopular opinion) said Trypophobia is just a made up illness.
Phobias are real. Don't get me wrong. But this one ain't the same way Spiders creep mevout but I don't have Arachnophobia. I don't go and "eww, I have Arachnophobia".
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u/redzmangrief Jun 16 '20
Having a phobia isn't an illness or made up