Since working in this group and reading posts from others, I've been reflecting on all the ways cultural aspects have influenced me.
For instance, I was raised in a culture where I really feel now that fear of snakes was instilled, encouraged and taught. As little children we all recoiled in the classroom and went EWWWWWW out loud if the 's-word' was even mentioned. We collectively shuddered, and everyone felt the same about them as I did. It didn't help that religious teaching equated the snake with Satan, and that missionaries visiting our school talked about how this was a danger they faced in their foreign missions. I had never seen a live snake in my life, nor did I ever want to. I was no different from everyone I knew in that big city.
Then I moved away to another part of the country and found one in my own back yard. On that day friends visiting me watched as I froze in horror, felt my heart playing tag with my liver, and broke into a sweat because of the little grass snake. They were quite shocked, not at the snake, but at me. After much discussion about it, I hated feeling different from them and not in control. Until that day, I never questioned my fear, nor did I realize how much control it seemed to have over me. My friends sure did though. The difference between us amazed me, to be honest. So I began to question the cultural influences, my fear, and to go about getting control back from this fear.
Does anyone relate to cultural influence on certain fears?
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Anne-Marie, Site Administrator
