Why are spiders so creepy, and why do they scare people so much?

I think I may be one of the few people who thinks spiders are cute, I have a pet tarantula.:)

People tend to be scared of the unknown, spiders are small and sneaky so they seem to just catch people off guard I guess.

People also like things that are similar to themselves, so maybe spiders are just too different in terms of appearance and behaviour.

Spiders are basic-minded creatures and don't have emotions essentially, so it's hard for humans to connect with that. With an animal like a dog it's easier because they FEEL.. feel abandonment, pain, joy, etc. Spiders are indifferent.

They're not playful, they're all about surviving.

See if you can get a baby spider screen saver and listen to your favorite music

at the same time, as it cuts in, if your feeling very uneasy,

move the mouse, otherwise if

only a little uneasy continue to view it, until

you feelings return to what you call normal.

Great Question.

Best Wishes.

Mars Mission Soon In A Galaxy Near Yours..

Source(s):

Studies..

It works like being familiar with certain animals. If people were as familiar with spiders as they are with their pet cat, they would fear the cat more. If people were as familiar with domestic cats as they are with spiders, people would also look upon cats as 'creepy', as well as hate and fear them.

Sure, spiders can startle anyone, even me, and I studied them over 30 years.

If you read this, you may understand these fears a bit:

First, you have to understand your fear,what it is, and why you have it.

This is a mental conditioning, like brainwashing yourself into fearing spiders. this would start the first time you ever feared spiders, or something you learned from perhaps parents that feared them.

The lack of familiarity and knowledge plays a big part, and growing up, you hear all the horror stories, urban myths, and hyperbole about spiders. Not knowing better, when you see a spider, you let fear take control. You practice this repeatedly, and dwell on your fear until this becomes subconscious.

A bit like memorizing lyrics to a song. you dwell on these thoughts, until they are no longer conscious.

You can overcome this, but first you are going to have to change the way you think about spiders.

Preferably, not thinking about them at all, and just ignoring them.

Everything you think you know about spiders is false, especially little horror scenarios you fantasize in your mind, like they will jump on you or bite if one is crawling on you.nothing is further from the truth.

You are going to have to have enough will power and determination to become familiar with spiders.

You are probably not afraid of your pet cat because you are familiar with it. It is the same for spiders.

Learning a little about spiders helps a lot and you might even find this interesting.

Read about their anatomy.

Look at photos of spiders, and how different they can be. Some can look intimidating, some actually cute. Watch videos of spiders and how they behave. Get to 'know' them.

If you can confront your fear with a little will power, catch one in a jar, watch it and observe it.

Think of it more like a pet than some demon that wants to harm you. Take it outside and set it free.

Even this will give you a sense of accomplishment. you will feel anxiety, but don't push yourself so fast as to panic and give in to your fear, you have to chip away at it a little at a time.

Right now, the last thing you may think you would ever do is let a spider crawl on you.

I grew up playing with all sorts of spiders, and no one told me I had to be afraid of them.

I liked spiders because they were different than other bugs, and over the years, I have handled thousands of them. small ones, big ones, fast ones, and docile ones.A few times, even dangerous ones. Most, simply don't bite, some can, but I have never been bitten where it wasn't my fault, usually from trapping the spider between my fingers. None were no more than just another 'bug bite'. Maybe like an ant sting.

A good place you might start, is to uncover some truth about spiders, and dispel some of the awful stories you likely believe. Here is an interesting site, loaded with things you never knew about spiders:

http://www.burkemuseum.org/spidermyth/index.html

They just have a creepy look to them. They have eight legs and are sometimes like furry and gross. And they can be really fast and run at you or jump at you off the ceiling.

I think the whole 8 leg thing is what creeps out many people.

I think it's because they're so unpredictable and sneaky!! They're always there when you least expect one, and they can be moving really slow then suddenly run off fast, that's what scares me.. and when they disappear off in a small hole and you never know where they go and when they'll come out again

They're just evil looking. No creature on God's planet really NEEDS 8 legs. 6 would have been fine. If it was up to me, I would replace them all with web-spinning grasshoppers instead.

I hate 'em too...Death to All Arachnids!!

Its those legs...I can't stand those leg movements they give me the icky feelings and I always assume they come crawling to my bed which they have. Now lexy, let's go destroy some spiders, got your shotgun?

Haha... I am dead scared of spiders too...! Dunno why

They are just so creepy... the legs and the horrible eyes and the texture on their skin... ewwwwww

totally gross

P.S. : I am even scared of the dead ones. :D

LEGS!! they jsut have to many dam legs

its the legs and the eyes.