Why is the suffix -phobia used in things we simply just get disgust from?

**Zeno** · 05-19-2022, 10:35 AM

"Islamophobia", "homophobia", "transphobia" etc...

The average person is not feeling threatened by these things. In fact he/she feels either indifferent or more realistically, hate or disgust.

So, why put fear in something that is hate and disgust? Because these two latter are way different feelings from the former. And attributing every situation of repulsion to fear is, on behalf of the left wing and the centre right parts of the political spectrum, a very petty dialectic tactic.

**Alenka** · 05-19-2022, 10:56 AM

In English, phobia doesn't simply mean fear, it specifically means an irrational fear.

Thus by labeling something a person thinks or feels as some kind of phobia, you get to quickly delegitimize their sentiments and views, even if those happen to be rational in reality.

It's a calculated tactic.

**Mejgusu** · 05-19-2022, 10:58 AM

I don’t know, ask reddit.

**Zeno** · 05-19-2022, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Alenka

In English, phobia doesn't simply mean fear, it specifically means an irrational fear.

Thus by labeling something a person thinks or feels as some kind of phobia, you get to quickly delegitimize their sentiments and views, even if those happen to be rational in reality.

It's a calculated tactic.

It is that, but the use is not "irrational fear". The word "phobia" itself is a literal loan from Greek, which simply means fear. It just means fear. They themselves have added the adjective "irrational", so as to delegitimise the opponent's argumentation points. It's literally very sly and pathetic. I really dislike it, and it shows how much cowardice there is amongst them. They're not even confrontational in debate for God's sake.