What is the one thing you fear the most?

[DevilMogun]

I actually don't fear death itself.  I fear the pain that must be connected with it.  Even the so called non painless ways to go fill me with a deep rooted instinctual trepidation.

I spent 4 years working in a city hospital and chatted with a few Emerg and Ambulance Attendants about death.   If I told you the stories I heard it would curdle your soul into a little ball, weeping like a babe, rocking, rocking and sobbing.  Yeah ... oh sorry what was I saying?

Anywho, a painful death would scare me most.
And ... Justin Bieber.

Yes, this would definitely be mine.  I want to hear your stories, and I don't.   My sould would be curdled quickly, but I'm curious too.  I wish there was an instant painless death pill I could carry at all times for emergenecies.

Justin Bieber is pretty scary too.

[richarquis]

My goodness.  Waygook.org has become Facebook.

Yeah, my greatest fear is a nasty virus deleting my Parmbille and Mapia Warj scores.

Seriously though, this thread reminds me of an absolutely astounding student I had. She's now 1st grade middle school, so I only see her every few weeks out on the streets or at the markets or whatever, but first time I met her, she stood herself out as the most independently minded Korean kid I've met yet.

There was an audition process for a full-immersion English school, held once a fortnight in a nearby city. 3 of the grade 6 (elementary, remember) girls wanted to apply, but only 2 per school could do so. So, my KT asked if I could sit the 3 down and just do an informal chat session, ask them some questions, and choose the 2 best speakers out of the 3. So, the questions were...

1. If you could choose any country in the world to go and live for 1 year, where would you go, and why?
2. What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?
3. What do you fear most in the world, and why?

By the end of the 2nd question, 2 girls were calm, and giving pretty static answers, but the 3rd, who was going out on a limb a bit more with her responses, was on the brink of tears, and constantly swallowing the lumps in her throat - You could actually see her gulping silently, and the tears were only stopped by her eyelashes. Poor kid was as nervous as all hell. Then when I asked the 3rd question, she blew the other 2 right out of the water. Their responses:

Student 1: I am scared of (ghosts/zombies, or whatever) because (generic reason.)
Student 2: Copy and paste of above answer.
Student 3: "The thing I am most afraid of in the world is other people. Some people think the human heart is a toy for them to play with. I know most people are good, but some are bad. The bad ones will hurt you, and break your heart. That is why I am most afraid of other people."

This was from a 12 year old kid, all said in a foreign language, which she still struggles in, and was an unrehearsed response to a question she had no advance knowledge of. I was completely stunned. Poor girl didn't end up getting the interview, because of cracking under pressure. The KT's wanted the 2 more confident kids, despite what I told them about the girl's amazing response. Next time I saw her out on the street we spoke about it, and she was sad that she didn't get it. I told her not to worry, there was more to life than a saturday school, and the world is a much bigger place than the Korean education system, and that hers was the single best thing any of my students has ever said to me. That made her happy, and now when I see her, she's as friendly and confident as can be, and says she's doing well in middle school, despite being constantly tired. Figured this thread could use a little warmth.

[CaveOfTheLifer]

Waking up in 5 years only to realize that I'm still an ESL teacher.

[K04]

hmmmm for about 8 months now i've had this overwhelming fear of fans

just kidding!

[tfuller]

I'm afraid of fear. It's annoying.

[Damien]

Mosquitoes of DOOM!

[lindsaydp1]

Rats. Also, not being able to find a job when I go home because I've been out of the industry too long...

[paulringer]

Other peoples feet and the dentist.

[tokki321]

There is too many things I fear, but the one I fear most is losing my freedom.

[spacebeany]

Being stuck in life.

I don't like feeling like I don't have any control at all, one of the reasons I came to Korea. If I was in that movie 127 hours I would have tried my cell phone first, pry the rock using the rope leverage, drank my water waiting for someone and then cut my arm off.. maybe a total of 12 hours of waiting.

[boanerges]

My goodness.  Waygook.org has become Facebook.

Yeah, my greatest fear is a nasty virus deleting my Parmbille and Mapia Warj scores.

Seriously though, this thread reminds me of an absolutely astounding student I had. She's now 1st grade middle school, so I only see her every few weeks out on the streets or at the markets or whatever, but first time I met her, she stood herself out as the most independently minded Korean kid I've met yet.

There was an audition process for a full-immersion English school, held once a fortnight in a nearby city. 3 of the grade 6 (elementary, remember) girls wanted to apply, but only 2 per school could do so. So, my KT asked if I could sit the 3 down and just do an informal chat session, ask them some questions, and choose the 2 best speakers out of the 3. So, the questions were...

1. If you could choose any country in the world to go and live for 1 year, where would you go, and why?
2. What do you want to be when you grow up, and why?
3. What do you fear most in the world, and why?

By the end of the 2nd question, 2 girls were calm, and giving pretty static answers, but the 3rd, who was going out on a limb a bit more with her responses, was on the brink of tears, and constantly swallowing the lumps in her throat - You could actually see her gulping silently, and the tears were only stopped by her eyelashes. Poor kid was as nervous as all hell. Then when I asked the 3rd question, she blew the other 2 right out of the water. Their responses:

Student 1: I am scared of (ghosts/zombies, or whatever) because (generic reason.)
Student 2: Copy and paste of above answer.
Student 3: "The thing I am most afraid of in the world is other people. Some people think the human heart is a toy for them to play with. I know most people are good, but some are bad. The bad ones will hurt you, and break your heart. That is why I am most afraid of other people."

This was from a 12 year old kid, all said in a foreign language, which she still struggles in, and was an unrehearsed response to a question she had no advance knowledge of. I was completely stunned. Poor girl didn't end up getting the interview, because of cracking under pressure. The KT's wanted the 2 more confident kids, despite what I told them about the girl's amazing response. Next time I saw her out on the street we spoke about it, and she was sad that she didn't get it. I told her not to worry, there was more to life than a saturday school, and the world is a much bigger place than the Korean education system, and that hers was the single best thing any of my students has ever said to me. That made her happy, and now when I see her, she's as friendly and confident as can be, and says she's doing well in middle school, despite being constantly tired. Figured this thread could use a little warmth.

Thanks for sharing this. Yes, some kids will defnately amaze you with their level of maturity and reasoning.

[youngkim]

I have a fear of speaking in public... isn't it funny. I'm a teacher!

[Mezoti97]

I don't like feeling like I don't have any control at all, one of the reasons I came to Korea.

Same here.

[cruisemonkey]

I had a nightmare once where I was doomed to spend eternity in a norae bang room with a bunch of drunk ajoshies. The only thing to drink was soju and the only anju was dried squid.

[DejaVu]

I fear having to work at a full-time job for more than 5 years of my life.

5 years....some people work at a job for 20 and 30....but I guess they have to really love it, right? I understand I like to move around too...I just get bored sometimes, even if I am teaching, I would need a change of environment (thus travelling the world and teaching) anyways I realize that one day when its time to make commitments and sacrifices that perhaps I will have to commit to staying at a job for a longer period of time .....6 years

Oh, no... I meant I don't plan on working for more than 5 years of my life.  In other words, no matter where it is, my accumulated time in the workforce should be 5 years or less. 

Wasting away more than 5 years of my life as someone who is employed is what I am afraid of.

[dongpal25]

useless negative worries to make me stumble

[alwaysgood]

1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer

The two most likely causes of death in developed nations.  Statistically it just makes sense to fear them most.

[Damien]

My students figuring out where I live.

[sisaltwostep]

My students figuring out where I live.

Hah. Also my students somehow getting a hold of my phone number.

[natale_laplante]

Getting struck by lightning.

Not finding my purpose, or not living up to my potential.

Not being able to adjust to life and work in Korea, and not getting any enjoyment out of teaching.