The Communications 100 class teaches that public speaking is the No. 1 fear; death is No. 2.

Everyone has a fear of something. Some phobias are more common than others.

Last week, I again experienced “white coat syndrome”, where blood pressure rises because of nervousness about seeing the doctor. The first time it happened, the doctor sent me to the hospital, where my blood pressure remained normal for four hours. Thus, my blood pressure is fine but I have a fear of white coats.

I also recently experienced fear of taking tests, actually called “testophobia,” which some psychologists believe is actually a fear of success.

The list of identified phobias is extensive. Some of the clinical names are easy to figure out, such as “obesophobia,” fear of gaining weight, or “Papaphobia,” fear of the Pope. Other phobia names make no sense, unless you speak ancient Greek or Latin. For example, “arachibutyrophobia” is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth; “Venustraphobia” is the fear of beautiful women; “Paraskavedekatriaphobia” is fear of Friday the 13th.

Jim Morrison of the 1960s rock group, The Doors, wasn’t exactly a role model, but he was an extraordinary poet and philosopher. Morrison said “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power.”

So, this semester, I may be exposed to internetclassaphobia, politicaladophobia, gorillaphobia, gaspriceaphobia, alarmclockophobia, narcilepsiphobia, bankruptophobia, and hangoveraphobia, but with any luck, I won’t have to do any public speaking.