Head for heights

To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia, an irrational fear of heights, and is not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo, the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down from a high place.

A head for heights is frequently cited as a requirement when mountain hiking or climbing for a particular route as well as paragliding and hang-gliding. It is needed for certain jobs, such as for wind turbine technicians, chimney sweeps, roofers, steeplejacks and window cleaners. Mohawk ironworkers have worked for generations erecting New York City skyscrapers, though it is a myth they have an innate skill for doing so.

Unlike acrophobia, a natural fear of falling is a normal phenomenon. When one finds oneself in an exposed place at a great height, one feels one’s own posture as unstable. A normal fear of falling can generate feelings of anxiety as well as autonomic symptoms like outbreaks of sweat.

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