Head for heights

To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia (irrational fear of heights), and is also 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 when 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,^[1] but the idea that all Mohawk people have an innate skill for doing so is a myth.^[2]

Unlike acrophobia, a natural fear of falling is normal. When one finds oneself in an exposed place at a great height, one normally 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. In someone with acrophobia, however, the fear of falling arises in situations that would not affect most people, and the fear can be much stronger, out of proportion to the situation.