15 Ridiculous Phobias of Celebrities and Historical Figures
![15 Ridiculous Phobias of Celebrities and Historical Figures](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/1/904711_320x180.jpg)
Everyone’s scared of something. Heights, clowns, being attacked in the middle of the night by the crazy-eyed old man from down the street holding a rusty nail and shrieking — there are all kinds of fears out there. Plenty are very rational. Being uncomfortable in big-ass crowds makes sense. Worrying about losing your job does as well. But worrying that you might be buried alive, or a cat might eat your head, or just being scared of anything oblong? Those are irrational fears, or phobias.
That said, a shitload of germaphobes were proven right a few years ago. And there’s nothing irrational about claustrophobia — being squished in a little space should scare you, goddamn it, humanity isn’t meant to spelunk.
Anyway, a surprising amount of high-achieving, well-known figures have succeeded despite irrational fears. Are they a side-effect of genius? Or is it just that only really successful people have the confidence to say, “By the way, I’m absolutely fucking terrified of buttons”?
The Sphere-Fear of Nikola Tesla
![Nikola Tesla was a troubled genius. Не hated round objects, jewelry and human hair, making something like a hair-clip with a pearl on it triply terrifying. Tricky to know how he'd feel about bald dudes - no hair, but cueball-esque heads... CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/6/904726.jpg)
Billy Bob Thornton Has a Crippling Fear of Antique Furniture
![Billy Bob Thornton isn't afraid of all antique furniture, just old mildewy stuff. Old dusty heavy drapes and big tables with lions' heads carved in it. Stuff that kings were around. The issue? It was too big to be functional. It creeps me out. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/5/904725.jpg)
Revolving Doors Are Not Alright Alright Alright Alright Alright Alright Alright
![Matthew McConaughey fears revolving doors, worrying, They'll cut me in half. Strangers will see me tense up and hold my hand as I'm going through them. I'm constantly worried that I'm not going to make it through the door alive. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/4/904724.jpg)
FDR Had Nothing to Fear But Fire Itself…
![Franklin Delano Roosevelt was terrified he'd die in a fire. Не regularly carried out one-man fire drills in the White House, even when confined to a wheelchair. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/2/904722.jpg)
…But You Can’t Spell Friday the 13th without FDR
![Speaking of Franklin Roosevelt, his other crippling phobia was of Friday the 13th. If he'd lived a few hours longer, his triskaidekaphobia would have proved very prescient - as it is, he died on Thursday the 12th. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/3/904723.jpg)
The Master of Suspense Found Eggs to Be No Yolk
![Alfred Hitchcock terrified more moviegoers than any other filmmaker. But nothing made him shit his pants more than eggs. Не once said, I'm frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes... Brr! CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/1/904721.jpg)
A Founding Father and A Famed Fairytaler Both Feared Fast Funerals
![George Washington and Hans Christian Andersen both had taphophobia, the fear of being buried alive. Washington insisted that his dead body be left alone for three days in case he woke up. Other sufferers insisted on being decapitated to avoid it. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/7/904717.jpg)
Dentistry Wasn’t Part of the Nazi Flossophy
![Hitler and Goering were terrified of dentists. Goering cried in the big chair. Hitler delayed appointments until too late, and once needed 10 fillings in one go. However, dentistry had the last laugh when it came to identifying Hitler's body. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/6/904716.jpg)
Steve Jobs Made His Fear into a Trademark
![The Apple co-founder corralled his koumpounophobia (fear of buttons) into both his trademark outfit, eschewing a button-up shirt for a black mock turtleneck, and the whole smartphone revolution's embrace of touchscreens. No phobia: a world of Nokia 3310s. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/5/904715.jpg)
Nobody Likes Cats
![The internet would suggest everyone likes cats, but a lot of high achievers have found the furry fuckers terrifying, including Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mussolini, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Shakespeare, Louis XIV and Hitler. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/3/904713.jpg)
Salvador Dali Was Bugged by Grasshoppers
![As a child, Salvador Dali was tormented by bullies who threw grasshoppers at him, leading to a lifelong phobia. Не was often convinced he had insects crawling all over his skin. Rather than avoid it, he leaned into the fear, using grasshoppers to represent fear in a lot of his work. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/9/904719.jpg)
Peter the Great Was Peter the Great Big Wuss About Cockroaches
![Tsar of Russia for 40 years, Peter the Great, was incredibly powerful, but scared shitless of cockroaches. Не sent servants ahead to scan for them, and punched an army officer in the face after seeing a roach in his house. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/4/904714.jpg)
Marcel Proust Had Agoraphobia; No Grasp of Sensible Renting Choices
![Literary giant Marcel Proust lived in the center of Paris, but as an agoraphobic terrified of leaving his house, he kept thick curtains permanently closed, soundproofed his walls and spent all day in bed. At Central Paris prices. What a dumbass. CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/2/0/904720.jpg)
The Founding Father with a Touch of the Shy Ronnies
![Thomas Jefferson helped author the Declaration of Independence, but had a phobia of public speaking and would rather shit his pants than make a speech. John Adams claimed he never saw Jefferson speak more than two sentences. Still got elected! CRACKED](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/1/8/904718.jpg)