Have you ever felt a sudden sense of panic at the thought of finishing your last unread book and having nothing left to dive into? If so, you might be experiencing something called Abibliophobia—the fear of running out of things to read.
Is that even possible? I only know people who have a huge pile of books to read and who long for more time to read! I think it may also be due to the overwhelming amount of books being published, so it's not a fear of not having anything to read, but of not being able to choose, or of not having anything that feeds the mood.
Have any of you ever experienced something like abibliophobia? I'm just curious, and if so, how does it work for you?
by FrancescoGozzo
3 Comments
Not really. Part of that is because I enjoy “classic literature” and don’t expect to finish it within my lifetime.
I do wonder if this phobia is correlated with people who have trouble ordering at restaurants though. I also wonder if “phobia” is a bit of an exaggeration. I can’t imagine too many people worrying about running out of something to read is a major disrupter to daily life. Unpleasant maybe, but not enough to be something you’d see a therapist/psychiatrist for without some other underlying issue.
i’ve only ever had the exact opposite problem, lol. it sucks that i won’t be able to read everything i want to in my lifetime.
I wouldn’t call it a fear but there is a certain feeling when you finish a great book that you’re never gonna find something good enough to compete.