Much of our behavior was shaped to keep us away from pathogens. This fact helps us understand why some things gross us out more than others do.
These stimuli, such as feces and vomit, are often loaded with potentially dangerous pathogens.So picture this: Just yesterday, you read a news story that warned people about a massive uptick in COVID in your state. You're not quite ready to find your old masks, but you make a mental note for sure. Today at work, you find yourself sitting at your usual seat at a weekly team meeting. Your co-worker, Huey, is sitting to your right, as usual.
People are often grossed out by blood and other bodily fluids—fluids that may contain all kinds of pathogens . The experience of disgust is a highly universal, natural, and adaptive emotional and physiological experience. Perhaps this is why disgust was included in Paul Ekman's famous model of the basic human emotions . Disgust is hardly pleasant—but without it, we might find ourselves facing all kinds of adverse health-related consequences—including death.
Bingham, P. M., & Souza, J. . Death from a distance and the birth of a humane universe. Lexington, KY: BookSurge Publishing.Curtis V, de Barra M, Aunger R. Disgust as an adaptive system for disease avoidance behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2011 Feb 12;366:389-401. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0117. Erratum in: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2011 Apr 27;366:1320. PMID: 21199843; PMCID: PMC3013466.
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