Posted - July 11, 2008, 4:02 p.m.
No, it's not the fear of Italian ice cream. Gelotophobia is the fear of being laughed at, according to the Associated Press.
Gelotophobia was a hot topic at a recent conference for the International Society for Humor Studies.
Psychologist Willibald Ruch of the University of Zurich told the AP the word was coined a decade ago to describe people who hear a stranger's laugh and think the laughter is about them.
The fear, which studies show afflict between 2 and 30 percent of the population, can spark sweating, heart palpitations and trembling, according to the AP.
What are some of your fears? I'll start. I'm afraid of people touching my ears (a fear that started after I got my tragi pierced three years ago) and the "Wizard of Oz." (I can't even link to it. I can't believe I typed it.)
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