What's your initial response to "burn it with fire"

[Jon B]

My initial response is anger. Like I would knock you out if you got within a mile radius of my little sweetheart.
Weird thing is I used to have arachnophobia, and I used to be okay with comments such as these. This was 8 years ago, I have been overcoming it since. First by educating myself, "men fear what they don't understand". Then I directly confronted my fear, and wind forward and I'm a tarantula keeper myself with a burning love for my T, just as if it were my pet dog or cat. I am sure I'm not the only one feeling this way towards their T, but 8 years ago I'd think it's weird anyone could not only tolerate T's, but love a T to that extent.
So talk about your T's guys, are they just an arachnid to you or are they a part of the family?
PS: I own a gentle Euathlus Sp. Red that I handle almost every time I refill her water dish, because she climbs out of the enclosure and sometimes your hand is closer than the catch cup. I don't open her enclosure with the intention of handling her, I know they don't particularly enjoy it. Like say a dog would.

 

[BobBarley]

I don't like it, and I try to explain it to some people. But even people that are educated in it, sometimes still want to burn my spiders with fire. It's really annoying but I just try to deal with it.

 

[Jon B]

I don't like it, and I try to explain it to some people. But even people that are educated in it, sometimes still want to burn my spiders with fire. It's really annoying but I just try to deal with it.

"It's really annoying but I just try to deal with it." That's admirable of you, maybe when I've had to deal with it for years and years I'll learn to let it slide. But at the moment I just can't deal with it. I get consumed by anger and I would harm anyone who tried!
I studied tarantulas for a long time before I got my own, but nothing I read could prepare me for the feelings I'd develop towards my very own tarantula.

 

[BobBarley]

"It's really annoying but I just try to deal with it." That's admirable of you, maybe when I've had to deal with it for years and years I'll learn to let it slide. But at the moment I just can't deal with it. I get consumed by anger and I would harm anyone who tried!
I studied tarantulas for a long time before I got my own, but nothing I read could prepare me for the feelings I'd develop towards my very own tarantula.

Yeah, IMO those people are missing out! These creature are incredible and there is so much left to learn about them! If I was able to, I would sit and watch my t's for hours.

 

[Andrea82]

Friend: 'burn it with fire!'
Me: lights a match..'better start running 'friend'...'

 

[crlovel]

I laugh and ignore it. It's the adult thing to do.

 

[chanda]

Most times, the people who say things like that are not seriously suggesting that you should do so - they just think they're being funny. It's a rather juvenile attempt at humor, reminding me a great deal of the 6- and 7-year olds I teach in some of my bug and spider classes. Of course, the kids don't say "kill it with fire" - but if they hear or say something that gets a laugh or attention from the other kids, they will then parrot it at every opportunity - ad nauseum.

It's the same thing with the people spouting "kill it with fire" either in person or on bug-related forums like arachnoboards or reddit. They know that some of the arachnophobes (or other bug-phobics) will respond with approval, that some people will think it's funny, and it will get a rise out of even the pro-bug and spider crowd who will jump to refute it. At its core, it's just juvenile attention-seeking behavior - and, as such, I generally ignore it. (That or refer them to examples of people who actually did try to "kill it with fire" - with disasterous consequences, like the guy who tried to burn a spider at the gas station and set his car on fire: http://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/09/28/spider-gas-station-fire-orig.cnn or the one who ended up burning down his house: http://time.com/2991835/man-tries-to-kill-a-spider-and-ends-up-burning-his-house-down/.)

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

If I had a dollar for everytime I read "The only good snake is a dead snake", the snake version of "Kill it with fire" I'd be a rich man. Well, maybe not rich, but I'd have enough to buy a flamethrower...
Like the "kill it with fire" crowd, those who make the statement think they are being either A) Clever B) Original or C) both. But usually they are just D) Trolling.

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Laughter. I don't take it seriously. One of the biggest problems with modern society worldwide is over sensitivity, and political correctness. Everyone gets so easily offended.

 

[Tenevanica]

Arachnophobe: "Kill it with fire! Let it go back to the depths of Hell in which it climbed out of!"
Me: "I think the same about your dog! Where is that mutt? Let it go back to the depths of Hell in which it climbed out of!"
Arachnophobe: "That's offensive! I hope someone presses animal abuse charges against you!"
Me: "Now you know how I feel about my spiders! Those tarantulas are my pets!"
Arachnophobe: "Ew. I guess you should go with the spiders. Why would you support the lives of such nasty things?"
Me: "I don't know, why do you support the lives of you slobbering nasty flea-ridden dogs?"
Arachnophobe: "My dog is pure-bred, and he loves me! Not like your 'pets' that are plotting to kill you now!"
Me: "Opening your mind to the beauty in insects and spiders reveals an endless world of wonder and inspiration. You're missing out on a whole realm of beauty."
Arachnophobe: "No. I'm missing out on a whole realm of death and destruction. I hope you're tarantulas die a horrible death, and I hope you finally see things the 'right' way."
Me:

This wasn't an actual dialogue of course, but this is how I imagine it going. It's like spiders don't count as pets, and if you think they do you're wrong. See my signature. That's my favorite quote of all time, and I feel like if more people would take it seriously this world would be a better place.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Nothing. I have absolutely no reasons to discuss with perfect strangers i don't give a damn about, something about the "things" i love. I care for my old school inner misanthrophy even if in those disgusting era we are living i'm not entitled to fully express that the way deserved.

Needless to say, the people entitled to visit me share the same values.

 

[Andrea82]

My t room was/is also my spare room for sleep overs (my family lives far away, they stay over when they visit). My mother now refuses to sleep there, rather sleeping in my living room where my four year old will be dancing on her bed at 6 in the morning...hilarious and sad at the same time.
My grandmother reacted with 'what on earth is the use of tarantula as pets?!' when I told her about my hobby.
It helps to tell people about the fragility of these animals, but even then, people think spiders are out to get them. It is one thing people telling me they're arachnophobic. To tell me I should kill my spiders with fire is a whole different ballgame. So yes, I react without thinking to someone who threatens me and mine. Might be immature, but we all have our flaws...

 

[EulersK]

Nothing. I have absolutely no reasons to discuss with perfect strangers i don't give a damn about, something about the "things" i love. I care for my old school inner misanthrophy even if in those disgusting era we are living i'm not entitled to fully express that the way deserved.

Needless to say, the people entitled to visit me share the same values.

This is about right. Everyone has their hobbies - ours just include spiders. To me, collecting records is ridiculous; you can download anything you want within seconds, what's the point of records? (a hyperbole example, I understand)

If you're close enough to me to actually know that I collect these creatures, then we share a mutual respect that would dissuade that negative response.

 

[Octagon]

I enjoy trying to disarm their fear and hostility, and like to think maybe I've been able to open a few minds. If they persist with their criticism, however, it can become irritating.

My husband, who loves to have debates with anyone and everyone, goes out of his way to tell all telemarketers who call that we have pet tarantulas because he gets a kick out of hearing the full range of responses, from the "Eeeew"s to the "I don't believe you"s to the "Wow, that's interesting"s to the ones who give no reaction whatsoever. Sometimes it leads to sharing info about T's; other times I think it shortens the calls.

 

[gypsy cola]

depends on who says it

if it is someone who I don't respect or just rude in general. I simply ask them if they have a dog or if they are cute. Then I tell them how many people die because of dogs... you wouldn't want me to set a puppy on fire right?... usually shuts them up. I really would have to dislike you for you to get that response though.

for people I respect or who are just nice, I show them pretty pictures of pretty spiders.

I only get "burn them with fire" from men though. Women will usually just shriek or say its gross... until they see pretty pictures then its just "that is soooo cool, no thanks though"

 

[Haemus]

Agree with @pnshmntMMA, gotta be able to laugh at ourselves and and not any joke too seriously.

 

[mistertim]

This is why I preemptively set anyone who comes to my house on fire, just to be safe.

 

[Trenor]

I find it interesting that, in a lot of cases, the reaction to intolerance is by returning that intolerance in some way. Expecting all people to share your views for every animal, pet, hobby is not a very realistic expectation.

If a person has (what you perceive as) an irrational fear of something doesn't make it any less of a fear nor does it make it irrational at all. A lot of people think a fear is irrational because they don't share it. So to them it doesn't seem like a big deal. People are afraid of all kinds of things. I knew a guy who was terrified of chickens. A lot of people will think that is silly but to him (and anyone that saw him in this state) it wasn't. The terror he experienced was all to real. If someone is apprehensive about staying in a room with an animal I can understand that. To them that is a real and valid concern.

In most cases people are joking. Take it as such and move on.
Or as @crlovel says in the best quote in this thread so far:

I laugh and ignore it. It's the adult thing to do.

 

[louise f]

I would laugh and think to myself, Honey they dont know what they are missing here

 

[Andrea82]

I find it interesting that, in a lot of cases, the reaction to intolerance is by returning that intolerance in some way. Expecting all people to share your views for every animal, pet, hobby is not a very realistic expectation.

If a person has (what you perceive as) an irrational fear of something doesn't make it any less of a fear nor does it make it irrational at all. A lot of people think a fear is irrational because they don't share it. So to them it doesn't seem like a big deal. People are afraid of all kinds of things. I knew a guy who was terrified of chickens. A lot of people will think that is silly but to him (and anyone that saw him in this state) it wasn't. The terror he experienced was all to real. If someone is apprehensive about staying in a room with an animal I can understand that. To them that is a real and valid concern.

In most cases people are joking. Take it as such and move on.
Or as @crlovel says in the best quote in this thread so far:

Fear, i can understand. Willful ignorance, not so much. I am terrified of beetles. Do i scream set them on fire? No. It is not so much about fear, more about respect for living things that apparently is non existent what gets under my skin when someone yells kill it with fire.