What is neophobia?

Neophobia is the fear of anything new, especially a persistent and abnormal fear. In its milder form, it can manifest as the unwillingness to try new things or break from routine. The word neophobia comes from the Greek νέος, neos, meaning "new, young", and φόβος, phobos, for "fear". Cainophobia comes from the Greek καινός, kainos, meaning "new, fresh".

Robert Anton Wilson theorized in his book Prometheus Rising that neophobia is instinctual in people after they begin to raise children. Wilson's views on neophobia are mostly negative, believing that it is the reason human culture and ideas do not advance as quickly as our technology. His model includes an idea from Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which is that new ideas, however well-proven and evident, are implemented only when the generations who consider them "new" die and are replaced by generations who consider the ideas accepted and old.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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27 Comments

George Oliver Prince

Neo really set up the answer

Orlando Giménez

Neophobia is the characteristic fear of novel foods, and ensures that animals ingest only small quantities of new foodstuffs. If no illness results from consumption of the new food, and assuming that the food is reasonably palatable, animals will increase their intake on subsequent exposures.

earlepg

And knowing a little Latin helps again.

William Perkins

Not having a cell phone I know I fall into this category.

Gold Toy Box

Vince Savage, Amen Brother

Etagi Nagaraja ,

Too Easy , Neo means New , gives Answer Easily !!!!

silrem

krkyates, that is fear of strangers.

Lynne Zeman

Dennis Lane, sometimes management thinks we do not see the bigger picture. But often times management does not see the smaller pieces that others do. The puzzle will not fit together. Then many many hours, a lot of cost and discontented employees, customers etc. have been affected. I have been on both sides of management. And often, the ideas of management do not have a realistic view. Talk to your staff. Get their input. Automatically assuming someone does "not play nice" without knowing the background is.....(add your descriptor) Sorry quizzers- Dennis hit a nerve.

Richard G Schwartz

Also the brain has patterns from when we are very young.

Marcella Kosse

Got it.

Patsy Burchell

This is the second time I have answered this question,got it right first time,got it right second time

Christopher J Voce

A lot of quiz questions have the answer in the question, as this one exemplifies.

Dennis Lane

Vince Savage, to echo the unending criticism of people like us from Management: You are resistant to change. You fail to see the bigger picture. You are not a team player. Perhaps not. Perhaps we have been there and done that. If it didn't work the first time, you'll have to convince me why it will work now. You are not alone! ;)

Kitty White

Neophobia is the fear of anything new or unfamiliar. Fear of an unknown cause seems to me to be a correct answer also. If it's unknown it's unfamiliar.