Discussion Were you a nervous or brave child?

[Forever Sleep]

I was very nervous. I remember, even a TV programme we used to watch at school used to frighten me. Anyone here remember Dark Towers? (A UK series.)

I also was fairly cowardly when it came to adventure playgrounds- stuff like that. But, I used to hope I was braver than I was. I'd stupidly climb up to something sketchy looking and then be terrified but, have to do it anyway.

Did you purposefully start to watch horror films young or, did you end up seeing something you then regretted? I think maybe the original 'IT' two parter was one of the first horror films I saw. I still avoid a lot of horror though. I couldn't even get to the end of 'The Ring'! I do like most of the movies based on Stephen King books now.

How about you? Do horror films get to you? Do you do daring activities? Did you start out fearless?

 

[Arvayn]

I was a fearless child, with no self-preservation instinct.

A sample list of what I can recall off the top of my head:

I drank entire bottles of medicine because it was tasty.
I accidentally fell down the balcony from the 5th or 6th floor, because I thought leaning over the window felt more fun.
I swam as far out into the sea as possible because I wanted to see what my limit was.
I slept through a house fire.
I tricycled down a rocky road at full speed, without any protective gear.
I had a glass door fall and shatter on me, and impale me.
I tried to jump past a speeding car because I was impatient (my mother pulled me back by the hood in the nick of time).

You'd think that I would have been outgoing and energetic, but I was actually very quiet and spoke to no one. I hallucinated a lot, and liked to live in my own head. People thought I was just shy, but I just genuinely had no interest.

Though, there was a time where I consumed too much horror media and I became convinced that I was haunted by possessed dolls and ghosts. Every night became absolutely terrifying. Rather masochistically, I remember I got myself to stop being scared of it by forcing myself to go out and face the danger-- the danger that my young self thought was very, very real!

I only understood the concept of keeping myself safe starting sometime around puberty, I think...

 

[Forever Sleep]

I was a fearless child, with no self-preservation instinct.

A sample list of what I can recall off the top of my head:

I drank entire bottles of medicine because it was tasty.
I accidentally fell down the balcony from the 5th or 6th floor, because I thought leaning over the window felt more fun.
I swam as far out into the sea as possible because I wanted to see what my limit was.
I slept through a house fire.
I tricycled down a rocky road at full speed, without any protective gear.
I had a glass door fall and shatter on me, and impale me.
I tried to jump past a speeding car because I was impatient (my mother pulled me back by the hood in the nick of time).

You'd think that I would have been outgoing and energetic, but I was actually very quiet and spoke to no one. I hallucinated a lot, and liked to live in my own head. People thought I was just shy, but I just genuinely had no interest.

Though, there was a time where I consumed too much horror media and I became convinced that I was haunted by possessed dolls and ghosts. Every night became absolutely terrifying. Rather masochistically, I remember I got myself to stop being scared of it by forcing myself to go out and face the danger-- the danger that my young self thought was very, very real!

I only understood the concept of keeping myself safe starting sometime around puberty, I think...

That's amazing. You had all the startings of being a stunt person- it sounds like.

 

[ScaredCutter]

mix of both but gradually, became more nervous. itll take me forever to recall things though lol

 

[itsgone2]

Not brave. More weak than nervous. Never overcame it. Ultimately, it's why I'm here. Being weak led to too many bad decisions

 

[Scythe]

Nervous, got punished too much and just not friendly people around.

I was a fearless child, with no self-preservation instinct.

A sample list of what I can recall off the top of my head:

I drank entire bottles of medicine because it was tasty.
I accidentally fell down the balcony from the 5th or 6th floor, because I thought leaning over the window felt more fun.
I swam as far out into the sea as possible because I wanted to see what my limit was.
I slept through a house fire.
I tricycled down a rocky road at full speed, without any protective gear.
I had a glass door fall and shatter on me, and impale me.
I tried to jump past a speeding car because I was impatient (my mother pulled me back by the hood in the nick of time).

I'm sorry, how are you even alive? Have u been permanently injured?

 

[Always-in-trouble]

Just weird and maybe hyperactive more than anything before covid, along with a quite few tantrums. After that I became more reclusive.

 

[tasmaka]

Very nervous child. Everything scared me, dark, all animals(except cats and bunnies), and one I still am affected by is lightning.

Its more noticeable as a kid but compared to everyone, in every matter I just felt very cowardly.

 

[OzymandiAsh]

Brave

 

[Xi-Xi]

I'd say I was braver, yeah, especially as a small child.

 

[DonLockwood]

When I was younger, my parents always said they had to keep an eye on me since I'd just like to wonder everywhere without a care in the world. I'd also just randomly touch things without thinking. Including one time where I pulled a fire alarm without knowing. Ever since I got into my teens, I've become extremely reserved. To the point where I'd hate to get my picture taken and not initiate anything. But thats something I still deal with now.

 

[Macedonian1987]

I was a very nervous and scared kid. Because of thi my dad couldnt keep his mouth shut and all my childhood he insulted me that im a sissy and not a real man.

 

[OzymandiAsh]

I was a very nervous and scared kid. Because of thi my dad couldnt keep his mouth shut and all my childhood he insulted me that im a sissy and not a real man.

That's the worst, some parents are just fucking shit. My step dad didn't directly call me a sissy or something but implied stuff like that all the time in his constant mockery and intimidation.

I had some amount of nervousness or anxiety, sure. But I was lionhearted, no doubt about that. My response to anyone trying to intimidate me, including my step dad, was to get pissed off and fight. Too brave for my own good, to be honest.

 

[Arvayn]

I'm sorry, how are you even alive? Have u been permanently injured?

Other than some mild chronic pain in my left knee, no. The healing ability of the body when you're still young is pretty miraculous.
The worst injury came from the fall. It gave me a bit of a fear of heights. It razed my flesh and bone, and it also dislocated my arm and wrist. According to my mother, I asked her to "please put my skin back". I didn't get TOO injured, since I didn't weigh much and it was far from a deadly height...
Swimming out into the sea should have also killed me, but an older man saw me from the far distance and started to swim over to me as fast as he could.
I shouldn't be alive right now, but I lucked out each time.

 

[N Seeker]

Very nervous. Anxiety for stuff that was not in my control, and extreme aversion to anything that was "wrong" or that put me at risk. But at the same time, I was a little devil who did not understand other people.

 

[Forveleth]

I was made a coward by my parents. I wanted to go out and take risks and try things but it was always "No, that is too dangerous" or "Do not do that because xyz could happen" or just straight up telling me I could not do something. Absolutely zero self-confidence building in my childhood.

 

[itsgone2]

I was made a coward by my parents. I wanted to go out and take risks and try things but it was always "No, that is too dangerous" or "Do not do that because xyz could happen" or just straight up telling me I could not do something. Absolutely zero self-confidence building in my childhood.

This happened to me and I passed it on. So horrible. So disappointed in myself

 

[NameOfAction]

I was a fearless child, with no self-preservation instinct.

We would have had great fun if we somehow met as children.
I was daring and numb, always getting other kids involved in my mad schemes.
Here's a short list:

- Tied together three skateboards (arrow formation) and got myself and two friends to rocket down a very steep road on a hill repeatedly. Steering around cars was achieved by grabbing eachother and all shifting weight, the only way to stop was for me to grind my shoe down(a lot of clothing was ruined).

- for 2 years I wore a leather jacket in the dead of winter (-15 °) and no other warm clothes. I did not feel cold and frostbite was casually dealt with.

- Climed to the roofs of building and let other kids in

- Swam in the rocky cliffs and shallow caves specifically in the middle of a storm, so I could enjoy fighting for my life against waves and currents. Got beaten and tossed against slippery and sharp rocks over and over, clawed my way up only to rest and go back for more.

-Raided medicine cabinets for psychiatric meds, sleeping pills, anything interesting. Later took it in bunches to see what happens. Was often done daily, hid my pills in the guitar sound hole. Went to middle school with blown pupils

- Got friends involved in self-harm. Got them to cut me and put their cigarettes out on me. We used to cut in the school bathroom

There was a lot of drugs, smoking, walking alone in the dead of night half-dressed, roof hopping, SH, putting myself in danger on purpose every chance possible(not reporting a bad fever, frostbite, infection, I couldn't see bc I never reported poor eyesight), skipping school, being friends with addicts and nightwalkers (always loveliest, most caring people, horribly ostracized for no reason) .

All this before age 13 btw. My wildest years

 

[rainatthebusstop]

I honestly can't tell. I was somehow similarly afraid of a lot of stuff but also opinionated and very staunch on my opinions. guess i was good at compartmentalizing

 

[wishingiwasok]

I was brave until I got hurt bad enough, then I would become more nervous. People, fire, climbing up things/jumping off things. I loved horror movies until my late teens. Watched wolf creek and realized the things that hurt me could get so much worse and no longer could handle collecting more awful things in my head.

 

[FoxSauce]

Ha! Nervous. Anxious about everything I meant everything.

To the point I couldn't be alone with myself,

One time with my dad we went to Menchies (is a yogurt place) and sisters when I was like 7 and got extremely anxious and it was also crowded to the point, I thought the place would get robbed and we could all die.

I tried telling my dad that we should go but he didnt take me seriously. (I dont think he knew what to do)
We left if my memory serves.

I would be anxious at earthquake drills and stunami drills to the point if we have to discuss it I'll just leave for the bathroom and tried to stay there as long as possible.

I honeslty didnt knew why I acted like this. Mom just assume I was a emotional dramatic child and brushed me off.

Rn idk maybe both since well I guess I gre from that. Im not sure.

Kinda Ironic since I enjoy horror movies now

 

[Bitch With An Apple]

I was very cautious but quietly rebellious. To be honest, I was a pretty manipulative child (some people are mentioning fathers here; my father *hated* this about me, and manipulative was a word he'd use to describe me all the time. It pissed him off to no end that he couldn't control me like he tried to do to everyone else xD). I didn't take risks that could get me into trouble unless I had plausible deniability. I think I was both courageous and cowardly at once. Too cowardly to outwardly stand up for myself or do what I wanted, but courageous enough to not inwardly capitulate to impositions and expectations that I didn't agree with. I think this has both its good and bad aspects.

I hated rollercoasters and never understood why people enjoyed taking physical risks. Loved scary movies though. I'm still afraid of the dark and I sleep with lights on.

 

[NameOfAction]

I was made a coward by my parents. I wanted to go out and take risks and try things but it was always "No, that is too dangerous" or "Do not do that because xyz could happen" or just straight up telling me I could not do something. Absolutely zero self-confidence building in my childhood.

Oh. My childhood was the opposite. I was my own parent. I knew for a fact nobody would save me, nobody knew where I was, with whom, in what state. Mom had to work, had better things to worry about

So I took the best care I could. Made my own appointments w/ doctors, bought my own medicine, did rigorous research on any fun pills I took, cleaned, bandaged, glued my wounds. I learned to be cautious and to rely on my own mind. Except I still wouldn't be alive if not for my friends at the time. Sometimes you're in shock, or are blind to some dangers. My friends took care when I couldn't. I was raised by me and 2 other kids, basically.

Somehow I'm still a coward. Few risks are worth taking if you'll be the only one picking up afterwards

 

[doomedbynarrative]

My mom said I was often "shy" about new situations but when it came to making friends with someone I found it easy so long as they were nice and especially if they were "special" in some way. Guess I still am that way in a sense. I wish the little girl in me was protected, loved, and raised better.

 

[the box is empty]

A bit of both. I know that while in my mind I was scared and anxious, my mouth gave zero fucks and said anything and everything without thinking of any of the ramifications. So I'm sure I came off as "brave" to some ppl not realizing I just had zero filter on mouth.

 

[tzon]

Yeahhhh.... way too nervous. But I was a happy child.

Diagnosed with general and social anxiety now.

Which reminds me, I need a pill.

 

[hitagi-crab]

immensely anxious. my mind was constantly inundated with scary scenarios and worries. in that respect little has changed!

 

[Pluto]

 

[glitterpvppy]

Anxious 24/7 I had the worst social anxiety and intrusive thoughts