Arachnophobia – the technical term for fear of spiders. According to MentalHealthy, roughly 55 percent of women and 18 percent of men that are part of western society experience some degree of arachnophobia. This just means there's no reason for you to feel bad about being afraid of spiders because you aren't alone in this fear. In fact, here are six celebrities who have been pretty open about their fear of spiders.
1. Justin Timberlake
2. Halle Berry
3. Rupert Grint
According to AZ Central, Rupert Grint – much like his character Ron from Harry Potter – is terrified of spiders. In fact, Rupert Grint is so afraid of spiders he checks his shoes every day to make sure there are not any spiders inside before he puts them on his feet.
5. Derren Brown
Digital Spy reports Derren Brown has been dubbed the scariest man in Britain. Despite this title, Derren has also admitted to have been unable to overcome his fear of spiders despite his best efforts to do so.
A phobia is an unrealistic and overwhelming fear of something for reasons that may or may not make sense to the person who experiences the phobia. Logic doesn't usually play a role in the matter. There are, however, a few logical reasons why these five celebrities – and you – really shouldn't be afraid of spiders.
1. They Keep Your Home Free Of Pests
Did you know house spiders are a natural form of pest control? They trap and eat just about any small pest they can get their legs on. This includes flies, ants, mosquitoes, and other small creepy crawlers. Despite what your phobia may tell you, it does not include humans.
2. They Protect Your Gardens Too
If you have a garden or flower bed in your yard, you should consider yourself lucky if you have a few spiders lingering in your yard. These spiders are going to keep the pests away from your garden. This means you won't have to do as much pruning!
3. They Could Even Make You Rich
If you happen to be a superstitious person, you will be happy to know TV Tropes reported money spiders are associated with wealth. The urban legend is that anyone who is fortunate enough to get a money spider stuck in his or her hair will become rich.
4. They Are More Scared Of You
Imagine seeing the world from the point of view of a spider – you are a giant compared to that little spider! Chances are pretty good that spider is more afraid of you than you are of it. If you just leave the spider alone, it will be happy continuing to eat any bugs it finds in your home! Unless a spider feels threatened, the instinct of a spider is to run away from a giant human, not attack it.
5. Some Spiders Enjoy Snuggling With Their Babies
Did you know female whip spiders enjoy snuggling and caressing their babies? Imagine getting a hug that involved eight arms instead of two!
6. There Aren't As Many Deadly Spiders As You Think
According to Everyday Health, if you live in the United States the chances of coming in contact with a deadly spider are fairly rare. This is because there are only two spider species out of the thousands in the United States that you even need to be concerned about – the black widow and the brown recluse. Even if you are bitten by one of these two spiders, the chances of it being deadly are rare – especially if you get treatment.
Are you afraid of spiders? If not, what are you afraid of?
[Image via ShutterStock]
