Usually these kinds of questions go the other way – there are more things that children fear, typically, than scares their adult counterparts.

Or at least, less existential fear, at any rate.

That’s what makes this question – and the answers – so interesting, though. These 17 people are sharing the fears they grew into and not out of.

17. Everyone fears this, no matter their age.

Losing my parents.

My parents are of an age where it is regularly discussed as a matter of fact that they could die soon. I’m the executer of their Will and my sister is responsible for medical decisions. They are going on a multi-month road trip around the US this summer and I have all the paperwork for how to handle one or both of them dying on the trip.

It’s kinda morbid, but if anything happens everyone is prepared.

16. You never could have guessed how much you want to work.

Unemployment.

What people don’t talk about his how many years it takes to recover from getting laid off, even after finding new employment.

15. You forget how easy it was, honestly.

Making friends. It’s hard as an adult to make friends with other adults. It was super easy when you’re a kid.

There’s this girl who’s been my friend since kindergarten and I’m pretty sure it all started because we were sitting next to each other one day

14. We’ve realized we’re not invincible.

Getting injuries. As a teen and young adult I was very reckless and nothing happened to me. I think back and boy was I extremely lucky.

I broke my trampoline in high school jumping off the roof of my 2 story house. I use to dive off my friends house straight into the pool. One day I was 26 and we were back at my friends house. I got on the roof like old times, looked at the pool, and climbed back down.

13. Little, new anxieties.

High places. I swear I never had the littlest fear of heights until adulthood. No idea how I developed it.

I even did a skydive when I was like 21 and now I’m 30 I get sweaty when I’m up on a damn ladder to the attic putting the Xmas decorations back

12. The ultimate monster.

Cancer.

Whenever I’d give my family medical history it was always heart issues on one side, cancer on the other. My dad’s family had a history of massive heart attacks and my mom’s side of the family had a history of cancer.

Two years ago my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died a little over a year later and that was WITH the success of fairly extreme surgery.

Feel very “welp” about my chances of living to a ripe old age.

11. We used to look forward to it.

Becoming older.

Seeing your body slowly crumble apart is terrifying. I’m deaf of one year, can’t run and I can’t memorize information as easily as I used to.

I’m 31.

10. Kids shouldn’t be afraid of this. I’m sorry that some are.

Lack of money.

As a child I thought money comes out of the ATM, whenever the adults wanted.

9. It’s called becoming a parent, I think.

Being driven.

I’m constantly thinking, ‘have they seen that car? I’d be braking by now… Do they know this is a tight bend coming up…?’ I learned to drive relatively late, and had two young kids by the time I passed my test.

Before I could drive I didn’t mind being a passenger, but now I’m always slightly nervous that whoever is driving might not be paying full attention to the road.

8. It was such a fun thing as a child.

Losing teeth.

I have nightmares frequently about my teeth coming out and I’m spitting them out in my hand, freaking out.

Or they are all loose ABOUT to fall out and I’m holding my hand over my mouth to keep them in.

It’s TERRIBLE!

7. The closer it gets…

Dying.

When I was a kid I was way more depressed than I was ever willing to admit, and I had basically resigned myself to live a short life and end it before I became too burdensome to the world around me.

Then I met my wife. Having someone else depend on you staying alive is a surreal feeling. I no longer actively hoped to die, but still death didn’t really scare me.

Then I had my son. I can’t let anything bad happen to him, I have to always be here to help and protect this kid, even when he’s an adult himself. Absolutely everything in my life changed when he was born, now the idea of dying actually fills me with existential dread. I don’t want to put him through that.

6. Once you know about it, you can’t not fear it.

Dementia/Alzheimer’s. Absolutely terrifies me.

Watching someone you love slowly become someone you don’t recognize and have them not recognize you is the most heartbreaking thing. My grandfather in his late stages of it, one time asked where “the other one is” the other one being me. I was in class while my mom and younger sister went to go visit, so he knew I existed at that point which was comforting but had no idea who I actually was, he just knew he cared about me.

Slowly watching the man who used to spin me around in a circle before church on Sunday morning, not be able to speak or feed himself because of a disease, was heartbreaking.

Sorry for the novel, I just get the fear 100%

5. Have some confidence!

Acting silly.

I was a playful kid but now I have to be serious and boring or people will think I’m stupid or crazy.

The more I grow the more society wants me to “act my age” and I just don’t want to do that. I want to be as carefree as children are

4. Definitely scarier now.

Breaking a bone… ..as a kid I rode BMX, skateboards and didn’t think twice about jumping off something. Now the first thing that crosses my mind is, I can’t afford to get hurt

I’ve broken my wrist twice and dislocated a finger (it’s still crooked as I was too young to get a surgery to fix it). I’m not necessarily afraid of breaking a bone again, because I’m dyspraxic and know that injuring myself badly is inevitable. I also know that if I don’t earn enough and can’t afford the €100 hospital visit, my country will be able to give me a card to get to hospital for free. I think if you’re in somewhere like the US, I’d understand why you’d be so afraid of getting hurt and not affording medical bills. But I think if you’re someone like me whose just very injury prone, you come to terms with stuff like that

3. The absolute worst.

Taxes.

One of the two things you can’t avoid…

2. It stinks that anyone has to fear this.

Being homeless…

As a child we assume that we will always have a roof over our heads, but when we grow up…

It just get real!

1. We’re all wiser now.

Geese/swans/long-necked birds.

I️ used to love them and think they were so cool. Now, after being chased by a few of each, I️ wouldn’t mind firing them into the sun.

Mess with the honk, get the bonk.

I feel like all of these are fair. Honestly, I’m probably scared of more valid boogeymen now than I was then.

How would you have answered this question? Put it in the comments!