Montaine wrote: Surely if something is identified as irrational it cannot be perceived as a threat?
I think this is a matter of semantic understanding. When they say it is 'identified as irrational,' I think they mean an average person agrees it is irrational. The person who HAS the phobia likely considers it to be an actual, valid threat. You might be an exception in that, but I have known some people who strongly felt threatened by things some people would laugh at.
Also, sometimes fear and phobias can come from lack of understanding. Maybe you fear slugs because they're so different from other things you are used to dealing with. Difference is a type of threat; a threat to our norms and ways of life. That's why people often fear or hate other races or cultures. We fear that they will upset the delicate balance of our lives. It's a similar reason to why some people fear marriage. It's a threat to your independence and your old way of life.
I also find it interesting how this could connect to the last topic. By offering different perspectives, perhaps I am changing your understanding of truth once more, and thus our conversation is shaping our realities (I just can't stop thinking of things from a Communication Studies perspective).
I'd also like to offer my own word of the day: Alektorophobia: Fear of Chickens.
