8 Reasons Why People Who Love Horror Are The Most Down-To-Earth

1. Horror is the entertainment version of spicy food – some people just find more enjoyment in things that are harsh. Like heavily seasoned foods, horror certainly is a taste that you either naturally have or grow to acquire – people who love it aren’t usually emotionally torturing themselves for no reason – they enjoy it.

2. Pain and pleasure are the same thing. Both our pleasure and pain responses come from the same part of the brain. The “pleasure chemical” released when we feel joy is also released when we feel pain. We love pain, which is why we continually seek it. What we don’t like is resistance and suffering, which is what happens when we deny the parts of ourselves that are slightly masochistic in nature.

3. Horror is like a psychological challenge. It’s like brain training for how worked up you can get over fiction. It helps you respond more placidly to real issues, and not create mountains out of molehills IRL.

4. People who enjoy horror are okay exploring the dark and seedy parts of themselves. We’re under the false belief that resisting or denying these parts of ourselves (and we all have them) will make them go away, but in reality, it’s emotional suppression or the full denial of self that creates violence or anger or destruction. Hence why people who love horror tend to be calmer in nature.

5. They’re in touch with a fundamental aspect of the human condition. They aren’t in denial about the horrendous and strange things that can happen in a life. This makes them far more understanding of other people’s intentions, motives and struggles.

6. The best and most worthwhile things are often scary, so the less resistant you are to being afraid, the more you can accomplish. People who love horror love to test just how far they can train their “fight” response before it turns to “flight.” Doing this while sitting in front of a screen is crucial for learning to do it in your actual life.

7. Horror is a genre of fun for people who aren’t naturally bubbly. It lets them express an extreme emotion that feels as exhilarating as joy, but doesn’t have to be so forced.

8. If you can survive the monsters in the movies, you feel more equipped to deal with the demons in your mind, even if just by virtue of not being as afraid of them. If we were all controlled by our desires, we’d be much more successful than we are. We’re controlled by our fears, especially our hidden ones. The more you can shine a light into the dark closets of your mind, the only monsters are in the movies (and sometimes on the news).