Have you ever had someone shrink a little when you came near to them as if they were afraid of your towering height? Maybe you found yourself stooping to help them feel more comfortable. While it has nothing to with anything you did, it could be that this individual in your presence has “gigantasophobia” or the fear of tall people.
Sorry tall friends, gigantasophobia is listed on many phobia websites as a real thing. At phobia.wikia.com it says that gigantasophobia “is usually triggered due to a traumatic experience with tall people, like getting ran over by them because that tall person may not see the person when far in the bottom or below the tall person’s eyesight.” (I’m now feeling concerned for every small child I’ve bumped into because I didn’t see them.)
If this post if making you feel picked on as a tall person, just know there is also a phobia of short people called “achondroplasiaphobia.” It is hard to say how these phobias come about, but the likeliness of having either of these phobias is very small. This should be a relief to anyone who is above or below average height.
Even with these phobias being rather rare, if you think you know someone with gigantasophobia, many mental health specialists recommend the best way to overcome phobias is by gradual exposure to that which one fears the most. You could be the key to show these individuals that tall people aren’t all that bad, but can be great friends, though that friendship may take some time.
