We all have our own fears whether its of spiders, snakes, or heights. Some of them are justified while others are just irrational, either way they tend to dominate our life oftentimes in a negative way because certain groups use those fears to push for ineffective laws or to sequester their members from the general public.

The second most phobia in the U.s.a is ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) if you would talk to them and ask of facts about snakes most of the time they would tell you myths and legends as id they were facts. They will often say snakes will stretch out their bodies to size up their food, while no herpetologist have seen wild snakes doing this behavior nor do private keepers notice it while feeding their pets.
There is alot of misinformation being spread by animal right groups trying to ban reptiles, while they unknowingly spread more fear around snakes throughout the public. Such as humane society of the United states (hsus). https://www.humanesociety.org/search?keys=Snakes . They said since 1976 17 people were killed by their pet constrictor but on this page https://www.humanesociety.org/animals/snakes (edit hit the link saying about large constrictor deaths) they contradict themselves ,even on the page,
Says that snakes aren't a threat to humans or their pets.
They also neglect to mention the circumstances that led to people getting bit and killed by their pet snakes, most keepers actually read the snakes body language to see if they are defensive or in a food mode failing to properly read the animal (any animal really) can lead to a dangerous situation. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ie5Iauc3Q9E
Shows what to do if a snake bites out of a food response and why it happened to him.

In ny opion fear can be a result of a bad experience, but more likely it is taught to us by our parents and society.

Sorry for the word salad sometimes i don't say much others i can't shut up. Picture just cause.