A public toilet. A nasal snort followed by a loogie. Fungus on food. Wet bread.
If this were a game of Connections, the category would be “Things that are gross”. While I find myself physically (and mentally) cringing as I write these phrases, none come close to inspiring the visceral reaction I have upon seeing an insect scuttle by or, worse, take flight.
My body attempts to contort into itself as if I want to close off every one of my five senses. Then I either remove myself from the situation or try to find a way of removing the insect from the situation, usually via slipper.
I’m not alone in my response, though. The sudden buzz of a fly has most people flapping their hands wildly as if attempting to ward off an evil spirit. Seeing a wall or ceiling-hugger has others running quickly past or under, as if their mere shadow might prompt the insect to launch an aerial attack. Still others pick the fight response, choosing to squash the danger.
But here’s the bug-zillion dollar question: Why do creepy-crawlies cause us to react this way?
'Survival of the scaredest'
Our fear of insects can be down to an anxious evolutionary trait. Let me pre-empt this theory by stating a fact – bugs can be dangerous.
We have ticks with Lyme disease, poisonous Maricopa harvester ants, bee allergies and mosquitoes that can carry anything from dengue and malaria to Zika and the West Nile virus. Mosquitoes alone are the cause of death for more than half a million people annually, and the first reported cases of these deaths can be traced back to the 1600s.
We can learn to fear bugs even as infants, through our surroundings, observations, experiences and even being taught to avert
Dr Aida Suhaimi,
clinical psychologist, Camali Clinic – Medcare Medical Centre Jumeirah
Even when our ancestors didn’t know the science behind bugs that kill, they knew enough to understand the potential danger and, in turn, the need to exercise caution. To borrow the words of writer and entomologist Jeffrey Lockwood, it was about the “survival of the scaredest”.
Evolutionary psychologists hypothesise that anxiety has been passed down through generations, and that our physical and psychological predispositions are a result of the actions our ancestors took to survive.
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology supports that hypothesis. Participants were shown various images of flora and fauna in a grid pattern and asked to identify the pictures. They found fear-relevant pictures (snakes and spiders) far quicker than fear-irrelevant pictures (flowers and mushrooms), showing a heightened response to identifying potential threats.
There is something to be said about living life with a healthy dose of anxiety, then, and it’s all thanks to an ancestor who, at some point, had a showdown with a bunch of bugs and essentially passed down an evolutionary aversion that is now keeping us safe.
Live and learn (your fears)
If we aren’t born with this fear, chances are we learn it.
“We can learn to fear bugs even as infants, through our surroundings, observations, experiences and even being taught to avert,” says Dr Aida Suhaimi, clinical psychologist at Camali Clinic – Medcare Medical Centre Jumeirah.
She shares an example of a mother passing on a fear of cockroaches to her child by exhibiting fear responses or sharing frequent warnings. Real-life examples aside, the media also pushes a specific narrative when it comes to bugs.
Think back to Fear Factor’s Coffin of Fear when Alison Sweeney was covered in worms, cockroaches and snakes. The scarab attack scene from The Mummy. Giant locusts in Jurassic World. Over and over, movies make use of bugs to portray horror and foster fear. Even religious texts have references that are decidedly not good tidings. Think locusts and hornets.
When we do see “loveable” iterations of bugs, they’re humanised by being able to speak, wear clothes and walk on two legs. Their bug-like features, too, are softened for easier palatability. Think Bee Movie, Ant Bully and A Bug's Life.
Another aspect to consider is how urbanised most human living has become in the past few decades, and its impact on our psyche. We’ve moved from living in nature-based settings to a concrete jungle. Our surroundings are tightly guarded against all sorts of elements, bugs included, and we essentially create what we consider to be a “safe space”.
Think of our fear and disgust of insects as being a conspiracy of evolution and culture
Jeffrey Lockwood,
entomologist
So when an insect ends up creeping and crawling its way inside, it’s seen as an invasion or encroachment. An uninvited and unwanted guest, weaselling its way into your space, not only surprises you, but also serves as a reminder that we have no control even in a space designed to be in our control.
Dr Suhaimi explains our response can vary depending on where we find ourselves confronted. “Being indoors, we have fewer ‘opportunities’ to meet bugs, but when we do, we may experience a more heightened fear response.”
Just plain grossed out
If the popularity of #CleanTok is anything to go by, we as a people detest filth and messiness. Bugs, as we know, are often found teeming in such places. An aversion based on this association is our disgust response acting up.
Researchers at Georgia Tech University found that the strongest neurological reaction elicited by bugs is disgust. It’s a result borne of a mix of things, from social conditioning and negative connotations to understanding their disease-carrying potential and, unfortunately, judging the book by its spindly, slimy, antennaed cover.
Call it an intuitive sense of revulsion, similar to the intuitive fear we experience when faced with darkness. It’s the “what if?” of it all. What if it’s carrying a disease? What if it bites me? What if there are more? What if it crawls over me and I’m not aware? Our brain is wired to create much of our fear through imagination rather than experience.
As Lockwood noted in an interview with Popular Science: “Think of our fear and disgust of insects as being a conspiracy of evolution and culture.”
Perhaps this means that our emotional responses are as capable of being dismantled as they are of being honed … within reason. It’s a matter of striking the right balance between understanding why we respond to bugs the way we do and still acknowledging that the freshly acquired dose of knowledge shouldn’t come in the way of the cautionary response our ancestors spent generations crafting.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1
Calvin Harris
Columbia
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
