• Question: What is the one thing you would say scares you?

    Asked by anon-204902 to Sally, James, David, Dan on 14 Mar 2019. This question was also asked by anon-204936, anon-204937.
    • Photo: James Munro

      James Munro answered on 14 Mar 2019:


      Great question Sana, Hannah and Sophie.

      As a psychologist, I am most afraid of memory loss and things that cause it. Like amnesia, alzheimers, dementia, brain damage and so on.

      Many of us will have an elderly relative who is losing their memory through one of these conditions – and it can be quite frightening. Memory isn’t just remembering things for exams. If we lose our memories, we lose what makes us – us. There are many excellent films that show what this might be like – I suggest (if you are old enough) to watch Memento or 50 first dates.

      It is a cool area to study because it helps us understand how memory works. For example, there are patients who forget who they are but can still play the piano. So they remember how to move to create music but can’t remember any events in their past! We need to learn as much as possible to protect memory from illness.

      Thank you for the question!

    • Photo: Sally Tilt

      Sally Tilt answered on 14 Mar 2019: last edited 14 Mar 2019 11:57 am


      You know – I used to dislike being scared of things – but now I tend to think about scary things in a different way. Being scared has saved us from dangerous things throughout human history – it’s pretty helpful to be scared of a sabre toothed tiger 🙂 So sometimes I embrace being scared – I’m a bit scared of heights for instance – but, within reason, it helps to keep me safe!

      Sometimes however we get a bit muddled with the things that we need to be scared of – speaking in public is a good example that lots of people are scared of – but actually, no one has ever died doing this – it is pretty safe activity when you think of it! So in these situations, I try to notice that I am scared but keep doing the thing – and gradually it gets a lot less scary.

      The next thing I need to do this with is flying – I’m a bit scared of flying – but I know that this isn’t based on fact – and it is safe, so I need to do it a bit more – and then I won’t feel as scared.

    • Photo: David Chadwick

      David Chadwick answered on 14 Mar 2019:


      What scares me most is getting seriously ill or injured so that I am continually in pain with no means of relief.
      Good health is worth more than a pot of gold.
      When you are young you take good health for granted, but once you get old (like myself) you realise that it is a wonderful thing to have and is worth an immeasurable amount.
      So enjoy your youth and good health whilst you can 🙂

    • Photo: Dan Taylor

      Dan Taylor answered on 14 Mar 2019:


      For me, losing the ones I love is such a big fear, or having them hurt and I can’t help!
      Something far less serious, I can say I still have this weird fear of the dark – too many horror films I think! But nonetheless its there haha!

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