Ron's Phobias

[Schlobin at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 16597

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Andrea <ra_1013 at y...> wrote:
> --- Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer <pennylin at s...>
> wrote:
> > I was really just arguing that I'm not sure he's
> > truly *overcome* his
> > fears of spiders.  He's still apprehensive around
> > them [snip snip] But, I guess I interpret >
> "confronting &
> > overcoming* a fear
> > more narrowly than others.  That's all.
> 
> Confronted, yes.  Overcame, no.  You gotta give poor
> Ron credit where credit is due.  He has an absolute
> phobia of spiders, and yet he follows a line of them
> into the Forbidden Forest, where he *knows* a ton of
> them are likely congregating, all to help Harry and
> Hermione. (Remember, it's looking at Hermione's empty
> seat in class that pursuades him to go.)  
> 
> Just because he didn't overcome the fear for all time
> doesn't detract from his incredible courage in this
> circumstance.  I've got a phobia of snakes as strong
> as Ron's of spiders, and I can honestly say that I
> don't think I would follow even one snake *anywhere*,
> even to help my friends.  Hopefully, I would rise
> above my fear like Ron did.  But even if I did the
> once, my fear wouldn't necessarily be *gone*.  But
> doesn't that make the courage required even greater?
> 
> 
> Andrea II 
> 
> =====
> "Reality is for people who lack imagination."
> 
> __________________________________________________




Yes, I now agree with Andrea II. I am dealing with my "Phobia" about 
dentists, and I find out from my web search and dentist that a ton of 
people have phobias.

Phobia is defined as an irrational intense fear based on a traumatic 
experience.

I found out that dentists when I was a child did dental work without 
novacaine. If the patient screamed, they gave them novacaine (but 
physiologically that felt like more pain). 

So for years I pretended that I was the Amazon Queen when I went to 
the dentist, and just went.

I would agree that proceeding in the face of intense irrational fear 
requires immense courage. Ron has not overcome his intense irrational 
fear of spiders, but he has mustered the courage to proceed in the 
face of that fear. 

Very impressive.

susan