masterwordsmith-unplugged

I started reading up about cockroaches in between household chores because my sons and I are terrified of cockroaches. From a very young age, I have been very scared of cockroaches for a few reasons including their smell, the way they fly and how the flit around in their bid to escape.

Some regard cockroaches as pests while others as delicious appetisers especially in Cambodia where roaches are fried.

Here are some interesting facts about cockroaches taken from HERE:

•     Crushed cockroaches when applied to a wound, can help ease the sting
•     Cockroaches have white blood
•     Roaches primarily come out for water, not food
•     Cockroaches can live a month without food, but only a week without water
•     A roach can live a week without a head. It dies after a week due to lack of water
•     A cockroach that has just shed it's skin is white and has black eyes. It takes 8 hours to reproduce the skin layer.
•     Laboratory female roaches are able to reproduce without aid of a male. They produce all female offspring
•     The largest roach in the world is the largest body, Macropanesthia rhinocerus from Australia weighing in at up to 50 grams.
•     Cockroaches thrive in all conditions and live in the desert as well as the arctic
•     Most roaches have the ability to fly, but not all do.

MORE HERE.

According to THIS SITE:

National Geographic names the fear of cockroaches Katsaridaphobia. This fear can be enhanced by multiple factors not the least of which is their quickness and prolific nature.

It may be possible that individuals fear the potential of disease or filth with cockroaches, but more likely it is simply the fear of insects in general or Entomophobia.

The Causes for Katsaridaphobia

MedicineNet.com indicates this fear may be characterized by, “An abnormal and persistent fear of insects [cockroaches]. Sufferers of this fear experience undue anxiety even though they realize that most insects pose no threat. To avoid insects, they may frequently clean rooms and carpets, sweep hallways, spray insect-killer or seal off doors and windows.”

One of the primary causes for this phobia can often be traced by to a previous incident involving cockroaches. It could be a family member had previously suffered a traumatic experience involving cockroaches and instilled a fear simply by recounting negative thoughts about the roach. It might have also been reinforced at a time when the adult spotted a cockroach and expressed incredible fear. This scenario can take childish fear and amplify it many times over.

There may be other causes and many individuals can’t pinpoint the exact moment the fear started. They simply remain acutely aware that the fear is extreme. It is generally a profound negative first impression and then the desire to never have the same experience that contributes to the ongoing fear.

Symptoms of Katsaridaphobia

No individual wishes to be embarrassed and it is the personal fear that causes all phobics to conclude that they have to avoid whatever it is they fear most in an effort to avoid embarrassing themselves.

CLICK HERE for more.

For a change, here's an economic viewpoint of cockroaches.

Investopedia defines the Cockroach Theory as:

A market theory that suggests that when a company reveals bad news to the public, there may be many more related negative events that have yet to be revealed. The term comes from the common belief that seeing one cockroach is usually evidence that there are many more that remain hidden.

Investopedia explains 'Cockroach Theory' this way:

For example, in February 2007, subprime lender New Century Financial Corporation faced liquidity concerns as losses arising from bad loans to defaulting subprime borrowers started to emerge. This company was the first of many other subprime lenders that faced financial problems, contributing to the subprime mortgage meltdown.

In other words, the fact that one subprime lender (one cockroach) faced financial problems indicated that many other similar businesses were likely to face the same issues.

The Free Dictionary defines The Cockroach Theory as:

A non-scientific market theory that bad news comes in large bunches, rather than a little at a time. In other words, the cockroach theory states that if one company in a sector or industry is revealed to have problems, it is likely that other companies in the same sector or industry have problems as well. For example, when it was revealed that Enron's accounting had been deliberately falsified, it was soon known that other companies, notably WorldCom, also had massive accounting problems.

Graeme Pieterz gives a few reasons why this occurs AT THIS LINK.

If you have time, check out The Cockroach Theory: Why Little Things Matter (even for Apple).

Have a great day!