PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) So in movies and cartoons, you always see women absolutely terrified of mice. I figured this was just movies and cartoons being stupid and stereotypical, but I have yet to meet a girl who wasn't completely terrified of them. Why? What's so scary about mice? They're absolutely adorable. Girls should be falling over with delight and talking about how cute mice are whenever they see one. I don't really have a fear of animals or insects, but I understand intellectually why most people are afraid of certain animals. I love snakes, but I completely understand why people are terrified of them. Snakes can kill you either with venom or by strangling you to death. Spiders can poison and kill you. Bees can kill you. Dogs can kill you. I would understand if people were afraid of mice because they were afraid of disease or of them wrecking their house, but that's not what they're afraid of. They're literally just scared at the sight of mice and the prospect that one might come near them. I do understand this is a prominent irrational fear, and that it's a fear based upon nothing factual. But where did it come from? And why does this fear seem to be so gender-specific? I just don't see why someone would be so afraid of something this harmless and adorable. Edited April 14, 2014 by FuturePriest387 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImageTrinity Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Mice are actually seriously evil. I took care of 40 of them for my thesis and as soon as I opened the lab door, they jumped up and hung onto the cage with their teeth waiting to bite me. I still have nightmares... :pinch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Mice are actually seriously evil. I took care of 40 of them for my thesis and as soon as I opened the lab door, they jumped up and hung onto the cage with their teeth waiting to forgive my unpleasant disposition. I still have nightmares... :pinch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherie Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I actually owned a few mice as pets when I was in middle school, along with a pet rat. Yeah, I know, weird, but I thought I was "saving" them from snakes when I saw them for sale at a pet store. (What can I say? It was from my vegetarian days.) So, I am not "afraid" of mice. That being said, a few months ago we had a mouse problem. They came into my KITCHEN. My meticulously cleaned kitchen, wherein I prepare food that we put into our mouths!!! They found a way into some of my cabinets and left their disgusting evidence there. They carry and spread diseases and they're disgusting and I was FURIOUS. And some of them were SNEAKY! I was very happy to catch them with mouse traps, and got quite good at it, if I do say so myself. So, I'm still not AFRAID of them...it's more like a murderous hatred. ;) ETA: doesn't really answer your question. Maybe the fear is more the fear of contracting horrible disgusting diseases from them, and not so much the animal itself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 I actually owned a few mice as pets when I was in middle school, along with a pet rat. Yeah, I know, weird, but I thought I was "saving" them from snakes when I saw them for sale at a pet store. (What can I say? It was from my vegetarian days.) So, I am not "afraid" of mice. That being said, a few months ago we had a mouse problem. They came into my KITCHEN. My meticulously cleaned kitchen, wherein I prepare food that we put into our mouths!!! They found a way into some of my cabinets and left their disgusting evidence there. They carry and spread diseases and they're disgusting and I was FURIOUS. And some of them were SNEAKY! I was very happy to catch them with mouse traps, and got quite good at it, if I do say so myself. So, I'm still not AFRAID of them...it's more like a murderous hatred. ;) ETA: doesn't really answer your question. Maybe the fear is more the fear of contracting horrible disgusting diseases from them, and not so much the animal itself? I don't know. When I ask girls, the disease is secondary to the main fear of seeing a mouse and having it go after them and attack them. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seven77 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) Mice have to perpetuate a fear of themselves in order to rule the world. If you are afraid, you can be controlled. A genetically altered intelligent mouse named Brain created a device that causes brain wave disruptions that produce fear. It's part of the New World order… look it up. Once again, the US government is responsible. Edited April 14, 2014 by Seven77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) I don't have a fear of mice but I do have a fear of rats. I watched "The Bone Collector" and there was a scene [spoiler]where the victim is in a slaughterhouse and the killer cuts his leg. The rats are attracted to the scent of his blood and attack. They have a shot with the rat coming straight towards the camera. It was probably CGI but it still gives me the creeps.[/spoiler] I've also seen the movie "Willard" and the rats were shown to be highly intelligent creatures. It creeped me out! I can't look at them in pet shops or see them in our yard without screaming (we've had some in our bird feeder at night due to a neighbor's infestation because of bamboo where they like to hide). :x Edited April 14, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 I don't have a fear of mice but I do have a fear of rats. I watched "The Bone Collector" and there was a scene [spoiler]where the victim is in a slaughterhouse and the killer cuts his leg. The rats are attracted to the scent of his blood and attack. They have a shot with the rat coming straight towards the camera. It was probably CGI but it still gives me the creeps.[/spoiler] I've also seen the movie "Willard" and the rats were shown to be highly intelligent creatures. It creeped me out! I can't look at them in pet shops or see them in our yard without screaming (we've had some in our bird feeder at night due to a neighbor's infestation because of bamboo where they like to hide). :x I have a friend (a girl) who has two pet rats and thinks they're adorable -- because they are. :P It is interesting how sometimes movies can affect how we actually look at things in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureCarmeliteClaire Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I'm about to say something that will rock your world... I'm not afraid of mice. They're adorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 I'm about to say something that will rock your world... I'm not afraid of mice. They're adorable. This gives me hope for the future of society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) I have a friend (a girl) who has two pet rats and thinks they're adorable -- because they are. :P It is interesting how sometimes movies can affect how we actually look at things in real life. It's weird because I only have three intense dislikes - rats, roaches, and heights. I don't like poisonous snakes but I know to stay away from them. I grew up catching bugs, frogs, and lizards so I find them interesting. I don't necessarily like them crawling on me, which a BIG bug did on a retreat a few weeks ago (YIKES!). I know to stay away from bees but they are interesting, too, and without them, we wouldn't have honey. I really can't wrap my head around owning rats as pets. I have owned hamsters (same genus as rats) and a guinea pig but rats are a no-no! Pest rats are really gross and full of diseases. Edited April 14, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilllabettt Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 FP, google "The Black Death." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 FP, google "The Black Death." The Black Death was in the middle ages. You'd think that after five hundred or so years people would have gotten over it by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I really like mice. I don't want them pooping hantavirus in my house and eating stuff in my truck, but otherwise, I like 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilllabettt Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 The Black Death was in the middle ages. You'd think that after five hundred or so years people would have gotten over it by now. yeah seriously! it only wiped out half the population. the other half was just fine. google "hemorrhagic fever" and "renal failure" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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