Phobias usually start with a bad experience, or are learned from the people around us. Since a culture is a group of people who share beliefs and ways of thinking, it makes sense that it might shape what we fear, too.
Taijin kyofusho
This is a fear described mainly in Japan. Rather than worrying about being embarrassed, the person worries that they will offend or upset others, for example through how they look or behave. It reflects a culture that puts a lot of weight on social harmony.
Ataque de nervios
Described mainly in some Latin American communities, this is not a phobia but an intense reaction to stress, which can include shaking, shouting, crying and sometimes fainting. It usually follows a genuinely upsetting event.
Social anxiety in the West
In many Western countries, social anxiety tends to centre on the fear of being judged or embarrassed yourself. It is often dismissed as shyness, but it can be very limiting. Our fear of public speaking page covers one common form.
What we can learn
There is still not much research on how culture shapes phobias, but it is a reminder that fears are learned, and what is learned can be changed.
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