Atheists, maybe this is relevant or maybe I'm an idiot: is it fair to say that even 'freethinkers' have...?

Question

...spots in their thinking that lay unexamined for years or even a lifetime? I for example consider myself to be a fairly freethinking kind of guy and openminded but I have this big blind spot about sharks. I understand that sharks kill very few people and my chances of having my body bitten in half are almost nil but you'll never see me in the ocean over my ankles.

Answer 1

Free thinkers are people and with people sometime fears control even the most rational person. (When I was 1 and a half I witness a dog attack on my Aunt and I have feared dogs ever since.)

Answer 2

You are definitely right. I have some such "blind spots" myself - so does everyone else.

Some of us are aware enough to know it, and strong enough to admit to it.

Nicely done.

Answer 3

That is just fear and imagination.  Believe me, I am going to Kauai on my honeymoon next month and will NOT be snorkeling.  I can barely get into the lake without panicing! lol!

Answer 4

what does being a freethinker have to do with your fear of the ocean?

Answer 5

It's quite obvious that many of the answers here are NOT from free thinkers. You are correct in thinking that we all have blind spots. A free thinker attempts to locate those blind spots and tries to overcome them, not always successfully.

Answer 6

As long as you recognize that your fear is sort of unsubstantiated.  And you understand that the human mind will always produce a certain amount of unsubstantiated fear.  Then you are at least grounded with your illogical stance.

Answer 7

Sure, we are still susceptible to phobias and irrational ideas just like the next person. Nobody gets it right all the time.

Answer 8

well im deathly afraid of spiders.

even if i shouldnt be, just the way they move scares me.

and the ones that really scare me are the big huge ones that run across the floor with a fork and knife and attempt to chase you around.

Answer 9

I vote idiot.

Just beause it is a religious site.

You might want to go to the site that deals with phobias.

Answer 10

thats  fear, nothing to do with free thinking

thats an irrational fear, that no matter how much you think about it, wil not be helped or made better and thinking about it can stress , upset and scare people so thats why they dont think about it

its too stressful for them

not because they cant think, but because they cant think about THAT one thing

Answer 11

I just think you have a phobia/anxiety over sharks.

Answer 12

Yes, you are right.  You are an idiot.

Answer 13

yeah, my wife hates spiders... what's that got to do with atheism...?  

oh, wait... I get the connection now!!!  God sends sharks and spiders to TEST US!!!

LOL

Answer 14

People only trouble to think deeply about things which are important to them.

Atheists care about the truth - so they devote much of their life to finding it.

Christians already have their faith as a substitute - so they have more energy to devote to being bigots and hypocrites.

Answer 15

Wait, What!?

Answer 16

I DO go in over my ankles, but I'm also irrationally afraid of sharks. You can't watch "Jaws" 50 times and not give the great white due respect.  

Answer 17

Everyone is afraid of something, and it looks like Sharks are it for you!  I mean, sharks scare me, but I still get into the ocean.  On the other hand, if I see a spider (especially one with those big bellies) I'll freak out like no body's business.  I'll start shaking uncontrollably if one is on my body.  I HATE SPIDERS.  I am so deathly afraid of them, and there is no reason for it.  I was not bitten by some crazy spider when I was little or anything.  I am just afraid of them, and that is okay.  Some people like to overcome their fears, especially fears of heights.  Some fears are easier to overcome than others.

If this fear is affecting your life in a negative way then I would take the necessary steps to challenge that fear, and try to overcome it.  If it isn't affecting you negatively, then I wouldn't stress it.  Just keep on livin'!

Answer 18

There are/were very few freethinkers in the history. Once you get there, you will believe very much in atheism.

Answer 19

Ba dump..............Ba dump......... Land Shark.

You're not an idiot, but what is the relevancy to freethinking or atheism?

Answer 20

Your fear is rationally based, however. Even though shark attacks are rare it is a real threat. The possibility remains that you could be attacked and there is evidence of this. The possibility of the Christian God being real is zero.  

Answer 21

lol im not exactly sure what this has to do with athiests but im fairly afraid of sharks too but i like deep water so i go in but i sure do freak myself out. we were in the dominican recently and i was swimmin towards shore and felt something under me and saw a shadow and FREAKED out and swam really quick turns out it was the sand that i had touched and my own shadow that scared the c**p out of me so yea. some things are just hard to understand i guess for real spiders also i just cant get past them even tho my bf is very into them and knows alot about them and apparently there are only like 6 spiders in the world that are actually deadly but i dont care to me they will all kill me lol

Answer 22

I'm not crazy about ocean swimming, myself.  Though I'm more afraid of stinging jellyfish than I am of sharks.

My sister did come into contact with a shark once, but luckily she wasn't bitten.

Answer 23

Well, to say that anything is ever fully explored, is an assumption of the willfully ignorant.

So, yes.  I would say that its fair to say that.

To Ace:  since when did loser mean the same thing as looser?