26 “Normal” Things That Give People The Creeps For No Real Reason, And Some Of These Unlocked New Fears

As a real-life scaredy cat who nevertheless loves horror movies, I’m so fascinated by the way that sometimes the smallest details can make something seem so extra creepy, like the way Allison Williams eats her cereal in Get Out. Recently, people on Reddit shared the “normal” things in everyday life that give them the creeps, and some of these are way scarier than any jump scare (horror directors, take notes!). Here’s what people had to say:

1. “My cat looking intensely at a corner of the room where there’s…. nothing.”

—comfy-glass-shards

“That’s when I suddenly remember every horror movie I’ve ever watched.”

—NeonMango_99

2. “A chair that’s warm from the person who was just sitting in it.”

—LoosePhilosopher1107

3. “Those sorority girls’ recruiting videos where they are all dancing. Something very weird about that.”

—NSAundercover

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4. “The sound of literally any children’s lullaby being sung too slowly.”

—sprinklesaurus13

“To be fair, a good number of children’s lullabies and nursery rhymes have a dark origin.”

—ResponsibleCandle829

5. “Talking on the phone and hearing your own delayed echo.”

—Scegabbo

6. “People saying my name very frequently in conversation. Makes me feel like they’re trying to sell me on something. It gives me ‘forced strategy they picked up from a self-help book’ vibes.”

—FallenRockstars

“I do this because I am awful at remembering names. If I use it a few times when talking to a person, I am more likely to remember. That way I don’t have to ask again or wait for someone else to say it in conversation, so I remember.”

—SillyRabbit1010

7. “Strawberries. Once when I was like 10, I was eating a strawberry, and my little kid brain was like, ‘What if I bite into one and there is a worm in it?’ I’m in my 30s now, and since then, I’ve never been able to eat them. I know it’s super irrational, and I actually like strawberries. But any time I consider eating them, I get freaked out.”

—EvilDuckOfD00M

8. “Playgrounds at night, especially swing sets.”

—WileyWine

9. “Clowns always get me. I know they’re meant to be funny, but something about them just feels off.”

—Jordan_Willis

Related: 27 Wild, Horrifying, And Extremely Messed-Up Stories About The Ocean, Lakes, And Other Bodies Of Water

10. “Mannequins in a store.”

—velvetbluecotton

“There’s this one shop a block away from my house, and usually there’s about four mannequins in the front windows that are typically dressed in something.

I got such a jumpscare when one day my eyes drifted to those front windows, and the mannequins were just naked.

It felt wrong on a biological level, as if I had actually seen naked people.”

—Popular-Style509

11. “People who smile with their eyes open too wide.”

—kawaiivjay

12. “Elevators. They are completely normal, safe, and used by millions of people every day. But every time the doors close, a strange thought pops into my head: ‘What if I get stuck forever?’ And even though the chance is almost zero, the feeling of anxiety doesn’t go away.”

—Soffa_ivi46

13. “Those big-headed mascots at theme parks. The dead eyes, the fixed smile… nope.”

—Intelligent_Panic564

14. “When I was in primary school, one of my friends told me that when a toilet flushes, a portal opens up and ghosts can come out. To this day, the sound of a flushing toilet gives me a minor chill down my spine, even though I don’t really believe in ghosts. (Don’t worry, I still always flush despite the fear).”

—foxgl0v3s

Related: “Give Me More Child Support So I Can Quit My Job”: 49 Wildly Entitled People Who Were Clearly Never Told “No” As Children

15. “Porcelain dolls. I respect your craft as a dollmaker, but I don’t want that in my house.”

—Young_Old_Grandma

16. “Cottonballs. Just grabbing them gives me a nasty feeling.”

—Grindingsince97

17. “Sleeping in front of a mirror. When I wake up at night and see my reflection in the dark, that creeps me out. Especially when I’m home alone.”

—Filoncy

18. “Classrooms saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I volunteered a lot at our elementary school, and it always bothered me hearing the kids sound like little robots regurgitating the pledge.”

—ToughOk4114

19. “Pregnancy is kinda terrifying.”

—in-thesuburbs-i

20. “When a friend or someone I know calls out of the blue, without us having arranged it. People rarely call these days; everyone just texts. I automatically assume something bad has happened or it’s an emergency. Calling a friend out of the blue in itself isn’t creepy behaviour. The creepy or eerie part for me is the thoughts that follow: ‘What bad thing has happened?’ and the sinking, stressful feeling.”

—rlyfckd

21. “When you are driving in the rain and go under an overpass, and for a split second it’s silent, and then the rain sounds so loud for a second or two once you are on the other side.”

—Flaky-Parfait-5603

Related: I Really, Really, Really Hate Myself For Laughing At These 57 Hilariously Unfortunate People

22. “People who don’t wash their hands when leaving a public restroom. I see it all the time, and it just creeps me out that they are touching stuff in the store or handrails right after.”

—Lilli_Puff

23. “For me, it’s the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard. Completely normal, but it gives me instant chills for no reason!”

—Horror_Visit_7337

24. “The sound of a clock ticking, but ONLY when I’m sleeping away from home! It’s a comforting sound when I’m at home, but if I’m sleeping at a friend’s or a family member’s, the sound makes it hard to sleep and gives me an icky feeling in my stomach. Been this way ever since I can remember.”

—somedumbasshit

25. “Bees, wasps, hornets. For the most part, they seriously leave me alone, but if one flies by me, I will stress myself out to no end. I feel bad they scare me.”

—Electronic-Angle8275

26. And finally, “Labubu dolls.”

—Successful_Towel5980

Do you have something to add? Tell me all about the “normal” thing that freaks you out on a deep level in the comments or via the anonymous form below:

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