Hindsight is 20/20, but our ability to look back and realize that a situation wasn't as bad as it seemed won't lesson how hard that situation was in the moment.
This is also true for children and the irrational fears they are facing. Learning later on that those things are irrational will not change how scary those things were at the time, but it's fascinating to look back and see what we feared the most.
Redditor _Veron_ asked:
"What was the 'dumbest' thing you were scared of as a kid?"
The Sweet Potato Man
"'El Señor de lo Camotes' or 'Sweet Potatoes seller.' In Mexico, there are people who sell sweet potatoes and bananas with cinnamon, candy, or honey, and they bake them on a tricycle with an oven with a chimney while they walk the streets."
"The sound of the chimney is a bit creepy and loud! I was terrified as a child, and even more so when my dad told me that the sound was from bad kids that the man was burning on his tricycle."
- KerenGO
Godzilla
"Godzilla. The old school black and white cheesy fake dinosaur looking one. I could not sleep for days."
- Mamadog5
The Cowardly Lion
"The lion in 'The Wizard of Oz..."
- seekthegiant
"Consider yourself lucky you weren't shown 'Return to Oz.' So much nightmare fuel. I still remember chunks 30 years later and I certainly haven't rewatched the thing."
- m0le
The Quaker Oats Man
"The Quaker Oats guy. He reminded me of Reverend Kane from 'Poltergeist.'"
- Ronnieb85
"I totally forgot I used to be afraid of this guy, lol (laughing out loud). My grandma always had some when I was a kid, and I don't know… He just had a creepy stare, and his eyes followed me no matter what."
- Fates_The_Great
The Loud Popping Noise
"Popping a balloon."
- SuvenPan
"When I was a kid, lots of birthday parties had a game that involved sitting on a balloon until it popped. I was terrified of that, but the adults made me do it anyway."
- UltraRunner42
Dun-Nuh Dun-Nuh Dun-Nuh, Shark Kite!
"Kites. Especially shark kites."
"When I was very little, family friends and my family went to fly kites in Sacramento. The older of the two boys had a shark kite and the corner of it poked him in the eye. There was blood everywhere and screaming/crying. After that, any kite being flown triggered me."
"Meanwhile, a year earlier a dog literally attacked my face… but did that deter me from loving dogs? H**l no. But a shark kite? No f**king way, man. Those things are dangerous."
- theWildBore
Omniscient Bears
"My brother and I used to set our stuffed animals/toys up and stare at them from a long distance using binoculars. We would take turns, but each of us could only last a few seconds before freaking out, squealing, and handing off the binoculars, because we were just CONVINCED that they were going to start moving or looking in our direction."
- AquamarineCheetah
"Toy Story: Horror Edition."
- madmonkeman
Theme Music
"'Unsolved Mysteries' intro song."
"I loved the show, but for some reason, the intro music scared the s**t out of me. Many times, I’d make a point to go to the bathroom when the song played so I didn’t have to hear it, lol (laughing out loud)."
- PhotographIcy600
'The Ring' Movie
"'The Ring' movie, which I never even saw. Someone recapped it and it haunted me for years…"
- Mr_Trumpets
"I would recommend that you never see it then. Because it is the images that stay with you."
- Dr_broadnoodle
"I had to unplug the TV in my room for like a month as a kid before I stopped being scared. It wasn't even a big enough TV for that b***h to crawl out of. It was probably a 12-inch screen."
- panda388
Something Out There
"UFOs. The first time I saw a spotlight in the sky (was a car dealer having an event), I nearly passed out. I was probably around 10."
- Ruseiriousmars
The Worst Possibility
"Those outdoor stairs where you could see through the steps down to the bottom, I was convinced I could fall through."
- LibraryVolunteer
"Or unfriendly hands reaching out to grab your ankles."
- Bladenkerst_Baenre
The Concept of Impermanence
"One of my earliest memories is of my mom telling me to hurry up and eat my ice cream before it melted. It was the first time I learned about things melting and that concept scared the s**t out of me for some reason."
- acct4dumbQs
Santa Claus
"I was terrified of Santa Claus as a kid. He just looked big, fat, and scary to me. He used to freak me out to the point of tears!"
- Elizabeth_Winters
"'He sees you when you’re sleeping.'"
- Madmonkeman
"You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. Santa Claus is coming to town."
"Are we sure this isn't a warning?"
- Outatime76
Spontaneous Combustion
"When I was a kid I watched a tv show about spontaneous human combustion while I was sick with the flu and was 100% CONVINCED I was going to burst into flames. The fever dreams afterwards did not help."
- Chapstickie
The Loading Sound
"The PS2 startup sound. I used it to play games and watch DVDs but I would turn it on then run and hide then wait for the 'scary part' to be over."
- plutodite222
"It's certainly kinda spooky, can't blame you for that."
- ooo-----D
We can all look back on our childhoods and point out things that we irrationally feared or believed, but while we may think those things are silly now, that will not change how the kid version of us perceived it back then.
While it may be funny now, it was pure nightmare fuel then.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter