I think some fears are so strange--like the fear of someone hearing you pee, or the fear of public speaking, or the fear of dinner conversation. Fear is scary when it stops people dead in their tracks from living their lives.
How did I learn to be afraid? I remember when I was little I was not scared of really anything. I would jump off cliffs not knowing how deep the water was below, ride motorcycles on small trails with a steep drop on the side, I picked up snakes and worms without thinking twice.

While I was looking up the name for my phobia I found some really odd ones:
Levophobia --Fear of objects to the left side of the body. As oppose to the fear of objects to the right side of the body which is Dextrophobia.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia--the fear of long wordsHa ha or the oxy moron of this phobia name with the phobia.
Fears are something that I think are outrageous, but they make sense to that person to be afraid, it is a reaction. I don't understand the fear of the or the fear of swallowing air, but I do understand the fear of rejection, clowns, and failure.