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"Spiders"

Do people have like an inert fear of spiders, is it natural to think "argh, kill it" when we see one? I mean, small creatures running about like mice or voles or kittens dont make people weep and flail, but spiders do.

I just saw one on the kitchen floor and stamped the little freak in a voodoo war-dance style, got me thinking, why the hell did I care it was there?

Do people have like an inert fear of spiders, is it natural to think "argh, kill it" when we see one? I mean, small creatures running about like mice or voles or kittens dont make people weep and flail, but spiders do.

I just saw one on the kitchen floor and stamped the little freak in a voodoo war-dance style, got me thinking, why the hell did I care it was there?

They kill mosquitos therefore they are my friend, I don't want one to touch me however, not since I got bitten as a kid.

*Scales building*

My spidey sense is tingling, no wait... the syphillis is back. :(

You got bitten by a spider?

I think so.

I used to catch them as a kid then I went after one and I got somesort of shock, which upset me as I was only young. I assume it was a bite from a wolf spider.

They're quite cool because they don't laze around on webs, they make a little web then go out and kill something before bringing it back.

Don't think they hunt in packs though. :)

I had an Usborne book on them as a kid.

Jesus! That's evil!

They're the big brown ones that live in holes in ground arent they?

It's a socially learnt thing.

You think?

You'd need to test it on a random kid. Throw badgers and spiders at him/her and see which scared them more

They are fascinating to watch. Some of them can move astonishingly quickly and their killing methods are really cool.

Evil little basts they are though. Too many legs.

Well, for most cases anyway. There are some people who have a bad experience with a spider, and that affects them - but even then, it's probably encouraged on by the fact that everyone around them is scared of spiders as well, so they think nothing of it and play along as it were.

Even I'm a little scared of them ... and there's no reason for it at all. Which really annoys me.
You can see how unfounded it is because a lot of people who are scared of spiders aren't scared of any other bugs - if they saw a big ant crawling up the wall, they wouldn't think twice about it. But a little spider and they're screaming the place down.

It's a cultural disease that's become the norm, and most people conform without even realising it.

in conclusion, it's wierd?