Explainer | Have an irrational fear of being happy? It’s called cherophobia; here’s how to overcome it
- An irrational fear of being happy keeps IT worker Eden Morales from savouring joyful moments, but he is finding ways to escape its clutches
Eden Morales has an interest in words that capture complex feelings, featuring them in a series of Instagram reels.
Terms like the Portuguese saudade, a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent, or oubaitori – the Japanese idea that people, like flowers, bloom in their own times and in their individual ways.
One word in particular resonated strongly with him, capturing what he has often felt: cherophobia. From the Greek word chairo, to rejoice, it describes an irrational fear of being happy.
“This was probably one of those words that found its way to me,” says the 33-year-old user interface and user experience designer in Manila, The Philippines.
“I always find myself anticipating a misfortune to come after experiencing an excessively positive moment,” Morales says.
He cannot recall the first time he experienced this feeling, but he is certain cherophobia keeps him from wholeheartedly savouring joyful moments in his life.
