thedeadfairy:

ph4u57:

In case you still don’t know, the word “phobia” has a completely different meaning in sociological context compared to psychological context! Homophobia is not a fear of gay people, fatphobia is not a fear of fat people. It’s hatred, it’s prejudice. It’s synonymous to animus. Can we all just accept that and move along already? You’re not being a smartass by “noticing” that “phobia means fear”. You’re being ignorant.

Similarly, soap is not simultaneously sexually aroused by and horribly frightened of water, despite having hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends.

Context!

(A better way of describing -phobic – or -philic, while we’re on the subject – would be aversion vs. attraction, rather than the literal translations ‘fear’ vs. ‘love.’)