The word phobia has seen a rise to power in recent years and, like many others, is being weaponised for purpose. Words and Meaning being extremely important to achieve their purpose. So, when a new word gets latched onto and inserted into the mainstream, to become the new ‘buzzword’ we should look at what that purpose might be.

I have already written about fear and the word phobia in Being Afraid, but that doesn’t really discuss the purpose of having people afraid of the implied meaning of the word, rather than what they should be afraid of. But the other word and its meaning that should be important here, is instinct. Because really that to me is what triggers the associated feeling, to then be labelled phobic. I’ll use a classic one first that is where I think I first heard it, fatphobic. This came up when it was decided that being overweight wasn’t going to be an issue anymore, after years of being told to diet, slimming programs and world popped up, there was therapy, drugs, surgery and more to help with that as a problem. But somewhere along the line, they decided that it was no longer a problem, it was healthy, big is beautiful etc. Instinctually though, we know deep down that it isn’t right for a fit functioning body or system, to have extra pressure put upon bones, blood, heart and all the other systems that have to compensate. I thought it was obvious, but clearly hadn’t factored in mental barriers and weaknesses to the overall ‘problem’, as well as those to might be making money from that misery. To convince your patient they aren’t miserable at all, and keep them in a state of ‘happiness’ which means altering their mind set towards it.

But instinct can lead to fear, and in most cases I suspect, it is because it is meant to, however, the mind can then run with it, take it too far, misunderstand the purpose of it, or not know how to deal with it. And now you have words to be afraid of as well as real physical indicators, so a new set of mental gymnastics is required to be able to navigate the very real feeling that is created. Moving on from a fear of being overweight, i’ll go to the next obvious one dominating our senses, Transphobia, and try to unpick what that has become in a quest to create a new mental landscape for identity issues, sexual fetish and deviance, voyeurism and other such types of personality. Taking the stage, and the shadows away from the ones who really did just want to be something else to feel like themselves, to blend in and just go about your life and your business, privately. Now it seems about perversion and intrusion, mentally as well as physically, because the adjusted mindset required, is supposed to be from the many, not the few. I don’t think the masses are ever going to be on board with wanting fully intact men, who appear to be showing signs of sexual perversion, to be in situations where girls and women are in a state of vulnerability. And the ones who shout the loudest about wanting access, raise the most suspicions, I have to say. You wouldn’t allow a teenage boy to insist on being in the bathroom with his sister, would you? Or any family member insisting on it with anyone else after a certain age of necessity, because it would seem weird. So, to me, it seems even weirder that with even the possible hint of perversion as the motive, that we aren’t allowed to question that motive. For any vulnerable situation, and for anyone showing signs of malintent, be it man or woman.

And that’s where instinct is there to serve as a tool, to give us a trigger for some guidance, to raise some questions that should be a simple straightforward procedure. But instead, it turns into a spectacle, a public debate about whether you should be allowed to question, rather than about the very real and natural fears many might feel. Because for the longest time, with reason, it has been drummed into women about safety, and personal responsibility for that safety. Don’t hitchhike, don’t be alone with strange men you don’t know, don’t talk to strangers, avoid being out at night, tell people who you are meeting and where, check in to make sure you are safe and so on. I don’t know many men who experienced that growing up, or as an adult. They just simply didn’t have the same conditioning, although now on reflection, maybe they should have, because boys have been a huge target for abuse and men are a target, just not as publicised perhaps as women.

It’s hard enough to work out what your internal sensors are trying to reveal, because you might not have the experience or understanding to comprehend what that feeling is. But if you are then being told by external forces that your feeling are wrong, you don’t know how you feel, and then you have a repeated mantra thrown at you to reinforce someone else’s belief, then it can damage your confidence, or ability to process instincts and what they are for perhaps. The other phobia that we can’t escape in the UK, is Islamophobia. Touted at every opportunity to try and shut down debate of a growing issue, causing much concern. And it’s a multi pronged issue, because it isn’t just that people are worried about a religion on it’s own and people just worshipping, it’s the other areas of society being manipulated under that banner. The courts, the different laws to the country’s establishment, the funding, the planning permissions, the benefits, the tax breaks, the changing of local demographic, the intimidation tactics etc. All facilitated and encouraged by the government no less, so people taking advantage and seeing the opportunity being handed on a plate, is only part of the issue. And one that people want to talk about, but of course, they have a handy tool for that, and out comes the phobia cartel, to psychologically whip some into a frenzy, and confuse others with their cunning word games. Trying to make people think their thoughts and instincts are irrational. Dividing understanding of what people are even discussing so that it never gets discussed, cunning, but not clever, and in fact, it’s getting rather boring now…

(c) MKW Publishing