Triskaidekaphobia
An irrational fear of an ordinary number.
Today is Friday the 13th. Many people fear this day, thinking that the number 13 brings bad luck. The fear of the number 13 is so pervasive that I’ve seen in some buildings, elevators that do not have a button for the 13th floor. That fear is so strong that it has a name: Triskaidekaphobia.
Triskaidekaphobia is a well-known phobia, an unreasonable fear of the number 13. We’ve seen it in popular culture in the movies, on TV and even in the press. But the number 13 is no different than any other number…