Thursday Salute to Originals: Phobia-Schmobia
We seem to be having our fair share of run-ins with critters lately. A few weeks ago it was the fruit flies. Now today, one of our designers encountered a very unwelcome big creepy spider crawling right across her desk. Her blood curdling scream scared the pants off everyone in the office. Fitting, we suppose, seeing that it is, after all, Halloween.
For some of us in the office, this wasn’t an issue; spiders are just another harmless little creature. But for those of us in the office with a slight arachnophobia complex, that creepy-crawly eight-legged little body of terror really caused some panic.
So staying within that same frightening Halloween spirit, we thought it might be fun to visit some of the more wacky fears out there. Just in case the ghosts and goblins weren’t enough to scare you today, here are some of the strangest fears that would really create some problems, especially if you’re a designer!
Aesthetical Fears:
Mycrophobia – the fear of small things. (Certainly not good when you’re working in fractions of millimeters, which is typical on most of our projects!)
Koinoniphobia – the fear of rooms. (Did the famed “open concept” design originate from this fear?)
Dextrophobia – the fear of objects oriented on the right side of the body. (Now we understand designers and clients are picky, but we’re not quite sure how you get around this one….)
Cacophobia – the fear of ugliness. (Hmm…on second thought, it seems like most designers have this issue!)
Asymmetriphobia – the fear of things being asymmetrical. (Or maybe it’s just a preference for things being “well-balanced.”)
Color and Material Fears:
Leukophobia – fear of the color white. (Might cause some problems since this color is very trendy in conveying that sleek and clean look.)
Hylophobia – the fear of wood, trees, and forests. (The over 2,000 square feet of real backlit wood used on our NCI project would be a real-life nightmare for someone with this phobia.)
Atephobia – the fear of old buildings or ruins (Guess historic preservation is out of the question for these phobics).
General Fears:
Logizomechanophobia – fear of computers (You might want to choose a different career path if you suffer from this fear, you won’t get very far on those 3D renderings for your client without using a computer!)
Chronophobia – the fear of time. (Deadlines are stressful, but having anxiety about time won’t do you any favors in meeting them!)
Papyrophobia – the fear of paper. (Well, good thing paperless trend is catching on…)
Allodoxaphobia – the fear of opinions (We’ve never met a designer who didn’t have an opinion – and a strong one – on something. If you suffer from this fear, stay far, far away from the design industry.)
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So whatever scares you this All Hallows Eve – whether it be a rational, exaggerated, or simply silly fear – remember that there is probably someone out there with an even more eccentric phobia. Who knows… you might just encounter a spook or spirit (or crazed zombie designer) tonight that will add a new phobia to your list! Boo!
Image credits: GFB Robot, Wood-Guides, Zenhabits, 2.BP, Topix