Well that's interesting - the definition I've heard is that in its broadest most fundamental sense at least... - 'Phobia', in essence; just means 'Irrational Fear'. As it says there, but goes a bit further.
Depends on the dictionary I guess...and I guess it doesn't have to have all those properties and maybe in essence it's just 'irrational fear' - but it commonly has the connotation as meaning more than that - and it is commonly used to mean more.
I found it interesting how Stephen Fry said 'Fear of Flying'--as in when on an airplane-- is a phobia because such a fear is irrational...there's nothing dangerous about simply flying in and of itself - fear of crashing however, fear of crashing however isn't necessarily a phobia in and of itself - because there might be some situations at least, when it's reasonable to fear it. Fear of simply flying however, in and of itself - is never rational so is always a 'phobia'.
I bet I must have some phobia...I wonder what it is tho...
EvF
Depends on the dictionary I guess...and I guess it doesn't have to have all those properties and maybe in essence it's just 'irrational fear' - but it commonly has the connotation as meaning more than that - and it is commonly used to mean more.
I found it interesting how Stephen Fry said 'Fear of Flying'--as in when on an airplane-- is a phobia because such a fear is irrational...there's nothing dangerous about simply flying in and of itself - fear of crashing however, fear of crashing however isn't necessarily a phobia in and of itself - because there might be some situations at least, when it's reasonable to fear it. Fear of simply flying however, in and of itself - is never rational so is always a 'phobia'.
I bet I must have some phobia...I wonder what it is tho...
EvF
