---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While learning about phobias in my…"
description: "\"“While learning about phobias in my college psychology course, I came across the fear of long words- or, as referred to in the medical community: hippo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg"
---

#  While learning about phobias in my college psychology…

![“While learning about phobias in my college psychology course, I came across the fear of long words- or, as referred to in the medical community: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.” quote by John Goldner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg)

> ““While learning about phobias in my college psychology course, I came across the fear of long words- or, as referred to in the medical community: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.””

John Goldner

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fear of long words is humorously named after the very thing it describes, highlighting irony in phobias.

**In simple terms:** Long word fear is ironic.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge irrational fears.

Themes

Fear Phobias Psychology Learning

Mood

Reflective lighthearted

Type

Fear:1 Phobias:1 Psychology:1 Fear Long:0 Community Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia:0 Learning Phobias:0 Phobias College:0

When to use this quote

- Academic study
- Self‑help
- Therapy sessions

Key Concepts

Anxiety Lexical phobia Humor

Questions to Reflect On

- How does naming a fear affect its impact?
- Can humor aid coping?

A Different Perspective

Such humor can trivialize genuine anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Phobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phobias/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/)

## Related quotes

> [Fear is not life-giving enough to sustain itself. We can move in the direction of fear only so long before it brings us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/fear-is-not-life-giving-enough-to-sustain-itself-we-can-move-in-the/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [“There was always scope for fear,so long as anything I love remained behind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/there-was-always-scope-for-fear-so-long-as-anything-i-love-remained/)

[Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/)

> [Oh, my sweet summer child," Old Nan said quietly, "what do you know of fear? Fear is for the winter, my little lord, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-my-sweet-summer-child-old-nan-said-quietly-what-do-you-know-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“You’re powerful, Clara. Or you could be, if you would let go of your fear long enough to realize it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-legrand/you-re-powerful-clara-or-you-could-be-if-you-would-let-go-of-your/)

[Claire Legrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-legrand/)

> [Dictators and oppressors should continue to fear me because I will be here for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/dictators-and-oppressors-should-continue-to-fear-me-because-i-will-be/)

[Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/)

> [“We fear what we long for. This is the paradox.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-brasunas/we-fear-what-we-long-for-this-is-the-paradox/)

Tony Brasunas

> [Sensationalism dies quickly, fear is long-lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/sensationalism-dies-quickly-fear-is-long-lived/)

[Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/)

> [“The isolation was necessary. He didn’t like people seeing him this way. It was better if they perceived him as the strong, capable man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/the-isolation-was-necessary-he-didn-t-like-people-seeing-him-this-way/)

[J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/)

> [The greatest problem about old age is the fear that it may go on too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-p-taylor/the-greatest-problem-about-old-age-is-the-fear-that-it-may-go-on-too/)

[A. J. P. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-p-taylor/)

> [“Guess what hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia means? Fear of long words. Isn't that the coolest?" - Kevin McGill in Madhattan Mystery”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-bonk/guess-what-hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia-means-fear-of-long/)

John J. Bonk

> [Remember there is nothing to fear but fear itself. As long as you know you are not doing wrong & you are not hurting,to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/remember-there-is-nothing-to-fear-but-fear-itself-as-long-as-you-know/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is the fear of long words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia-is-the-fear-of-long-words/)

Author Name

> [Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run, it is easier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/courage-is-more-exhilarating-than-fear-and-in-the-long-run-it-is-2/)

[Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/)

> [Our tragedy is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it... the basest of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/our-tragedy-is-a-general-and-universal-physical-fear-so-long/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Postpartum depression and anxiety that 11-20% of women experience is not at all the same as the more commonly experienced 'baby blues' 80% of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-dippel/postpartum-depression-and-anxiety-that-11-20-of-women-experience-is/)

[Judy Dippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-dippel/)

## More Fear quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [“That horrible stinging sensation returned, the muscles behind my eyes straining as the first tear began to fall. “I’m scared, too. For eighteen months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-ashley/that-horrible-stinging-sensation-returned-the-muscles-behind-my-eyes/)

[Devon Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-ashley/)

> [“...Often that which most we fear births the resolve that spurs us on to altitudes we could not have achieved, had we continued walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-t-anderson/often-that-which-most-we-fear-births-the-resolve-that-spurs-us-on-to/)

[M.T. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-t-anderson/)

> [What an incredible drug fear is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/what-an-incredible-drug-fear-is/)

[Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/)

> [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/)

Nagisa Tatsumi

> [“We all know how the thing we secretly fear is not a secret at all but the open and eternal thing that predicts its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/we-all-know-how-the-thing-we-secretly-fear-is-not-a-secret-at-all-but/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [“I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness and so for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-had-nowhere-to-go-and-did-not-wish-to-be-seen-by-anyone-for-fear/)

[Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [“Snip off the little worries and expressions of worry” like little branches atop a tall tree.28 If you are truly worried, sharing your concerns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/snip-off-the-little-worries-and-expressions-of-worry-like-little/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [“Fear and desire for pleasure. Aggressiveness comes out of fear, predominantly, and sexuality predominantly out of the other. But they mix in the middle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/fear-and-desire-for-pleasure-aggressiveness-comes-out-of-fear/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/)

[Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Don't be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don't let others discourage you or tell you that you can't do it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-b-elion/don-t-be-afraid-of-hard-work-nothing-worthwhile-comes-easily-don-t/)

[Gertrude B. Elion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-b-elion/)

> [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/)

[John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/)

[Browse all 35,569 Fear quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“While learning about phobias in my college psychology course, I came across the fear of long words- or, as referred to in the medical community: hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Goldner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goldner/while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-college-psychology-course-i-came/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fear"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goldner/while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-college-psychology-course-i-came/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/737/john-goldner-249230_fear_while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-colle_2858958.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“While learning about phobias in my college psychology course, I came across the fear of long words- or, as…” — John Goldner",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Goldner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goldner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“While learning about phobias in my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goldner/while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-college-psychology-course-i-came/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goldner/while-learning-about-phobias-in-my-college-psychology-course-i-came/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```