Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Call for questions: DISGUST (Patreon)

Published:
2023-06-21 18:51:41
Imported:
2026-06

Content

And as long as I'm hyperventilating up the Rocky stairs while chewing on a cheesesteak, I figured let's meet up with an expert in DISGUST, who happens to be in Philadelphia. 

Why are we grossed out by some things and not others? We shall find out, via an expert in the matter. Leave questions below, friends! 

Grossed in,

Ol' Ward

Comments

Andrea Devlin

What did you think of the character "Disgust" from Inside Out?

Alexandria Bates

Why does the sound of people chewing food disgust me so much!?

Matt Ceccato

Of the five senses, which reacts strongest to disgust?

Will

Why does the disgust expert live in Philly and not Cleveland?

Allegra Favila

This is a great one! Let’s talk about body horror!! Why does it have us in a chokehold? Why do the things that disgust us also fascinate us?

Adam Foote

Is this expert in Philadelphia to be close to the Mutter Museum or is that just a coincidence?

Anna Thompson

How do certain senses (a smell, a food, a texture etc) get wired to be awful for us?

Mark Rovner

Are the things that trigger disgust universal or do they differ based on geography, culture, etc?

Ferf Brownoff

Are there any things that are universally, objectively disgusting? Like, Mayonnaise, say?

Kayla Pilcher

I have major texture issues (eating and touching). Thinking of certain fabrics gives me the shivers and I physically cannot eat certain food. Why?

Camille Krouse

I need to know why humans (including myself) are so captivated by pimple popping/hair extraction videos

Alex Glow

Disgust seems to be the best the way our body keeps us safe from diseases, does it have any other evolutionary purposes? Do animals display disgust?

Naomi Jane

Can we talk about tripophobia? It's not exactly a sense of feeling scared (like most phobias) more of revulsion - what's that about?!

Nico Price

Is revulsion and disgust the same?? I’m trypophobic & bug-phobic but I wasn’t always & cannot pinpoint when either happened. How do we learn disgust & what can we do to avoid learning more or unlearn what we’ve learned? Is it NOT learned??

Naomi Jane

Is "the ick" a real physical thing?!

Maren Prophit

What do you think of niche / extreme reactions of disgust like misophonia (Misophonia may cause a reaction to sounds such as dripping water, chewing, snapping gum, or repetitive noises, such as pencil tapping) ?

UltraCheese

Why do I love pimple popping and toenail removal videos despite them being the grossest thing ever? And why do I salivate?

Quincey Robisheaux

Can the disgust reaction be changed by changing the way someone thinks about the subject that causes disgust?

aedy miller

How much of disgust is social/cultural?

Nico Price

Why does too many teeth on things make me want to tear out my own mouth?

Lene Olszeth

Is there a scientific name for when you see something and you do the shiver and the hand thing and run away saying nope?

Average_pi

What causes some people to think things are gross and others don't

Matt Hirschl

What is happening in my head jelly (brain) with disgust? What lobes are chattering?

Danielle Zonis

Why do I get so disgusted by certain foods? I find that when I get disgusted by foods its usually a texture issue but sometimes its just the smell. Can I be disgusted by the texture or is there something else at play?

NanoNaturalist

Why do worms freak me out but I love and will literally kiss slugs?

Britt Kline

Nature vs nurture: How much does our individual disgust come from inside vs what we’ve been taught is “disgusting”? Thinking about bugs, snakes, and generally anything or anyONE who may be considered “other”…I am curious how disgust is linked to bias!

Sher Kelz

First time question asker!! Why are we okay with eating eggs one second and then absolutely grossed out by the thought the next second??

Milan Ilnyckyj

In 2007, I made tortellini and let it sit too long on the stove and get squishy. It wasn't that bad to eat, but to this day the memory turns my stomach and I basically haven't made pasta for myself since. How can such a trivial incident still generate such a strong reaction after 16 years?

Caitlyn Powell

Is disgust really one of our "basic emotions" as Pixar told us in Inside Out?

Danielle Zonis

Do people with sharper senses get more easily disgusted?

Elisabeth L. Daley

What is the mechanism for a nauseated response to disgusting things?

Katrina MacWhirter

Why do I (and at least two people I know) go through phases where I love something and have to eat it all the time, sometimes for months, sometimes for a few years... And then suddenly I can't look at it or put it in my mouth, I'm just nauseated, even by the thought? (Peanut butter, as an example. Hated it as a kid, then craved it through high school. Hated it for many years after, then for a few years I could eat it with a spoon, put it on every piece of toast or pita, add it to soups and wraps, I would go through two jars a month of the natural Adams deliciousness, either crunchy or smooth. Now I won't even touch the last jar of Kraft I bought, it's hidden at the back of my fridge, waiting for some unsuspecting guest to discover how dried out it can get and still be edible.)

Justine Doll

Does the level of exposure play a role in disgust? If you have never been exposed to something before vs repeat exposure? How do cultural differences and learned behaviours play a role in what we find disgusting.

Julia Fisher

Why does disgust sometimes elicit a physical response (e.g. my need to vomit when cleaning out a drain)?

Milan Ilnyckyj

How do our emotions related to disgust and purity relate to our political preferences? Is there something in how conservatives are obsessed with the morals of sex, while progressives are obsessed with the morals of eating?

Jess Loeffler

What's up with an aversion to texture? Either eating, or touching? Can you train yourself to be less texture averse?

Emma Giles

What is "the ick?" Aka "That guy gives me the ick."

Katelyn Costanza

boost for term head jelly and also dope question!! Gimme the lobes!!!!

Katie Sharp

My friend's kid is grossed out by fake blood and gore to the point where the super fake plastic dismembered limbs people put out in their garden last Halloween made her physically vomit - why do some people have such visceral reactions to things that others don't, even if it's very obviously not real?

Elisabeth L. Daley

Also, I love the smell of cow and horse manure, yet many people find these aromas quite disgusting. At least they say they do. Why do I love it while others hate it?

Danielle Zonis

Relatable. Triggers my fight of flight I swear.

Erin Unson

Talk to us about the disgust face. How universal is it actually?

Caitlyn Powell

Why does old velvet couches or color combinations make my skin crawl? Is that disgust? What are the actual physical signs that you're feeling disgust?

EdNoGG

Why can I not drink Fireball anymore, why does my brain gag at the thought of smell of and thing cinnamon. Is disgust just the ghost of early 20s past 👻

Jillian Shepard

Is disgust related to the food aversions and vomiting that so many pregnant women experience, or are these things completely unrelated?

Marisa

Long time listener, first time question asker. My name rhymes with Theresa. Thank you for being so great about saying names right! Is there anything that is universally disgusting and what are the most prevalent qualities of things that cause disgust, either physical or emotional psychological?

Cat Lady

WHY?!?!?! Mouth sounds, like smacking, sucking teeth, etc. Holes and certain patterns.

Riikka Puttonen

Do people who menstruate really have lower disgust levels when it comes to seeing/dealing with blood or is that just some flim flam? (pronounced REEK-kah POOT-toh-nen)

Maggie

If I'm disgusted by a certain food, is it possible to train myself to like that food eventually? I really hated the smell/taste/texture of eggs as a kid (it would make me gag) and still can't bring myself to eat them as a result, but simultaneously they look SO good, and I really want to like them. Is there a way? Also, why do I love certain foods when freshly cooked but then I come back to eat the leftovers a day later and suddenly it grosses me out?

Paul Smith

How much of disgust is sensory and how much is psychological? I can be fine with oysters unless I start thinking about it and then it's suddenly the worst thing I've ever experienced

S-R Patreon Content Dependency

Some of my food quirks (can’t stand any seafood, for example) align with things that my mom couldn’t stand eating during her pregnancy with me… is there any way that it’s related? Could her pregnancy-triggered disgusts have somehow transferred to fetus-me?

Jennifer Anderson

Is there a correlation between disgust and phobias? Does one cause or lead to the other?

Sarah

Can you tell us about the relationship between our emotions/logic versus our physical senses when it comes to disgust? For example, I don't find the appearance of bodily secretions disgusting. I don't look at vomit or poo and automatically feel disgust. Only when I can smell it. That's the only time when I can feel the revulsion. What's up with that?

Megan

What's the difference between dislike, disgust, aversion, and phobias? Also, I just noticed this as I was typing - dislike is the opposite of like. Is disgust the opposite of gus? What is that??

Quincey Robisheaux

q from my husband: Why does pet food always set off my gag reflex, when it's made of the same animal flesh I bite into on the regular?

Cierra

Do non-human animals have any behaviors that we consider displays of disgust?

Jonathan Slowey

Why can some people not watch pimple popping videos but others, like myself, cannot get enough of them?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

How is disgust different across the world? If disgust was an evolved thing to make us do stuff like not eat rotten meat and avoid venomous snakes, wouldn't it be more consistent? I love snakes and people in parts of the world love eating rotten meat! (I'm thinking the fermented shark stuff in Scandinavia etc)

Diana Teeter

Same question!!! My disgust triggers are the same as my phobia triggers! I want to learn more about this.

Megan Younce

I just got lightheaded even thinking about those videos. Love this question.

zombot

Why do my nipples get hard when my gag reflex gets triggered?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Is there a difference between physical disgust, like reacting to bad smells or tastes vs mental disgust like reacting to a gross old man calling you sweetie?

Cecily Templeton

What is it that's so disgusting about a strand of hair in your mouth? I don't think it's disgusting...it's my own hair after all but if it happens I gag for minutes after it's removed.

Lori G

While studying for my eight hour certification exam in the Health Records field, I could not stomach (pun intended) reading the chapter on intestinal parasites. So much so, that I didn’t care if it was going to be on the exam. I am the same way about Creepy Crawley things in the ground. Why?

Nathan-Andrew

Yeah! Why are some folks entertained by gory, extreme cinema - even finding it funny - while others are completely repulsed?

Marisa

Is there a genetic component of disgust? For example, lie or dislike of cilantro has been shown to have a genetic basis.

Jonathan Slowey

I hope I'm not alone but in super satisfying pimple popping videos or earwax cleaning videos I actually start SALIVATING. Why am I this way and is there a cure?

Amanda

Why do I get so disgusted by chewing sounds and other people don’t even notice it?

Connor they them

Oh my God! This is the question I was going to write. I am very rarely disgusted by physical things, but I get disgusted by people's behavior all the time. What is the difference and why are some people more prone to one over the other?

Donoiw

This following so closely behind Taste makes me think we ate something bad and want to know why we ate more of it later.

Rachel

One of the things I've had to parse through over the years is the difference between fear and disgust. How come these things sometimes go so hand in hand? Like I know that cockroach can't kill me, but my god is it so disgusting that it's probably going to kill me!

Alia Myers

WHY IS TEXTURE SUCH A THING FOR ME

Olivia Welsh

how do individual aversions become cross cultural “disgusting” taboos? Mary Douglas, cultural theorist (she wrote Purity and Danger) comes to mind with this ology. Basically, Why are we all disgusted by the same things? Is it culturally taught or instinctual?

Kelsey Larson

Any tips on overcoming a gross-out? I miss my favorite Mac and cheese that I got a stomachache after once, and now I get grossed out by the smell!

Alia Myers

Why are there certain things that seem to disgust everyone equally?

Alia Myers

Is a disgust of a certain thing more often inherent or developed over time?

Scott Sheldon

Silly question, but thoughts on Inside Out and Disgust? Did they get it right?

Cate Muenker

How can I stop my 14 year old daughter from constantly looking at me in disgust? Is it just a feeling that’s reserved for mothers and everything we say? Even if I say she’s beautiful, I get that look. How long should I expect to get that look?

Jean Caruso

Why when I see something that I truly do not like, I want to physically turn away.

Sam

Is disgust cultural, genetic, both, or something else?

Hillary O'Neill

I have a friend that has a very low disgust threshold. It can be anything, foods, sounds, smells, a vibe, something else someone is doing, fashion choices... Misophonia, supertaster, etc etc. What makes some people's thresholds lower than others? I am a nurse who raised 2 boys; I have to have a high threshold to survive! 😂

Deli Dames

1) which sense is most sensitive to disgust (smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing)? 2) what is the evolutionary benefit to disgust? does disgust protect us in some way?

Ella Sugerman

Sometimes if I have a thought about something bad (think accidentally stepping on a rusty nail, etc.) I feel a need to physically shake my head to get rid of the thought. Is that a common response?

Hillary O'Neill

How about religion and disgust!? As a former Christian, I know you can change your mind on such severe reactions as disgust. There's definitely a nature disgust and a nurture disgust. Can any disgust be helped with exposure therapy? How much crossover is there with fear and phobia?

Riikka Puttonen

Sorry folks, some sexy stuff incoming! I've heard arousal makes people's tolerance for disgusting things higher. Is there any truth to this? It rings true as an anecdote since human bodies are indeed often a bit disgusting, yet we still have to get real close and personal in order to procreate. (Or you know, for fun.) But I would love to know if anyone's studied this at all. (pronounced REEK-kah POOT-toh-nen)

Cobalt Finch

I often get grossed out when trying to watch medical shows, yet I have no problem watching crime shows that show remains of people, such as the show Bones or NCIS. What might cause the difference in levels of disgust, or lack thereof? Similarly, I have a family member who can watch medical or crime shows, but cannot handle when someone in a show or movie vomits or mentions that they might, regardless of whether or not it is shown on screen.

curly fry

Why is mayo so disgusting?

curly fry

Why do certain things gross some people out but not others?

curly fry

Does texture have any relation to disgust?

Trevor Hagedorn

There have been some great questions asked so far. I would also like to hear about the nature vs nurture and the evolutionary aspect of disgust.

Kendall M

How much does culture play into disgust?

Pretty Bird

I have heard that disgust actually lives in a different part of the brain than other emotions. Is this so? If it’s so, how do you make sense of that and is there any tie between that and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Thanks from Sara Boilen (as in I’m so hot I’m boilin’)

Handrea

Is disgust it's own emotion or is it a weird mash up of several emotions? It seems like too strong of an emotion to be just one

Emily Layfield

I'd love to hear more about disgust that underlies some kinds of social stigma - and are there any system-level interventions that might help reduce disgust at a more population/community/cultural level? I'm specifically thinking about things like fatphobia, but I think it's more broadly applicable.

Mandii Smith

I’m disgusted by bugs. If one touches me I feel the need to either wash or rub wherever it touched as if it’s still on me. I’ve heard others feel the same about touching something with a texture they didn’t like. Why does disgust sometimes feel so physical?

Jadine Lannon

What's the deal with things that are normatively disgusting/taboo (like urine/blood/feces) becoming sexual fetishes?

Jadine Lannon

THEY ARE SO SATISFYING I don't know why pls help

Spencer Parks

I just amazed that there's an expert on this topic! I'm incredibly intrigued!

Jadine Lannon

Btw not at all kinkshaming! Just curious and wonder if it has anything to do with the sexualization of disgust/feelings of disgust!

Chris Whitman

Others here have talked about bugs and disgust (seeing bugs or bugs being on them). As you talked about in Entomophagy Anthropology, in lots of cultures, eating bugs is normal, yet in western cultures, it is disgusting. To ask Maggie's question another way, is it possible to train my (western) self to like eating bugs?

TJ Mckenna

Has he ever seen the movie Inside Out and if so, what does he think about the character Disgust?

Maggie

^^ i too would like to train myself to like eating bugs

Brooke Hicks

How much if feeling disgusted learned and how much is innate? I ask because I work with animals and am no longer disgusted by things that I should be, yet baby burps makes me wanna vom?

Savannah Glenn

i feel sick when i see/hear stories of people breaking bones, bleeding, etc. and surgery scenes in movies gross me out a TON. why do some people have a visceral reaction to things like this?

Greg Walloch

Why are we both simultaneously drawn to and repelled by disgust sometimes? Like when you smell milk that's gone bad, but then you go back in to smell it a few more times or say to the people around you, 'Oh my god smell this!!'

Riikka Puttonen

Thanks to the internet I know for sure I'm not the only one who has a strong disgust/aversion relating to touching belly buttons. At the same time it's rare enough that it's super hard to find any good info about this phenomenon. So please, what on earth is up with the belly button disgust? Why does touching it feel so utterly disgusting? Was it tied in a weird way in birth or something or is this purely psychological? (pronounced REEK-kah POOT-toh-nen)

Anna Vilnīte

How come there are things that are yucky and we can still look at them just fine but other things are yucky and suddenly trigger the gag reflex? What's the connection between disgust and involuntary body reaction?

Mari Strombom Johnson

First time question asker here... how much of our disgust with something is based on what we were taught to believe, and what does it take to unlearn that disgust?

Melanie Lee

How has covid changed the general feeling of disgust people feel about strangers? Personally I feel like the COVID pandemic has made me much more of a germaphobe and recoil much more from sneezes/coughing/etc. Is there a way to reverse this aversion?

Jenna Congdon

I have basically the same question! What we consider objects of fear/disgust (everything from food to different animals to the way we view death/the deceased) revolves around what we were taught culturally. So what things are universal and what is taught? And how does this vary within a culture, too? I'm a nurse and almost nothing bothes me anymore, body-fluid-wise, even if others in my social circle still find those things gross. How does our attitude toward things we once gave us the ick change?

Holden A. Goose

What's the process that goes on in my brain when I see really big bugs? I have a really bad bug phobia and if I'm scared enough I will puke :(

Jenna Congdon

How do fear and disgust overlap, and how are they different?

Jenna Congdon

What is the difference between being disgusted by a physical object/substance (ie, a food you strongly dislike) and being disgusted by something less objective, such as an attitude or action you disagree with (ie hearing a rascist comment). Are there physiological or psychological differences, or are those reactions basically the same?

Emily Staw-fur

I have a toddler. How is it that I will catch her puke in my bare hands or handle her poop with no hesitation, but there's no chance I would do that for anyone else?

Amelia Heins

I recently learned about the abject in my feminist psychologies class and found it so fascinating that there is a term for being grossed out by our own "stuff" once it has left or been removed from our bodies (loose hair, feces, finger nails). Why are we so disgusted by things that come from OUR OWN BODIES?! I am not grossed out by my attached fingernails, but the second it is clipped off I hate it. WHY?

Isabelle Brooks

What is the “ick” and why is it so hard to change your mind on something once it you’ve designated it as disgusting?

Hannah Michel

what's up with "the ick"?? how/why is it that qualities in another person that we once found tolerable, or even endearing, can then cause us to recoil and cringe? what causes our perception to change so dramatically that someone who we thought was cute suddenly becomes icky to us? is there an evolutionary explanation, or are our brains just broken? is this even a concept that's been studied scientifically, or is it just pop jargon?

Jessamy Ritchie

How much of disgust is learned v instinctive? Or is it ALL learned?

Julia Taylor

First time question asker here! What’s the most “disgusting” thing you’ve ever encountered? Was it smelly or gory or psychologically upsetting?

Scarlet P

I am very sensitive to certain textures, touching anything slimy absolutely repulses me. Is there any way to reduce my sensitivity or will I be this way forever? Can your sense of disgust change due to age, repeated exposure, or other factors? To what extent can you "retrain" yourself or change what you find to be disgusting?

Kathryn Knopinski

I would like to hear all about the links between disgust, facism, and how we code things as clean/unclean.

Kathryn Knopinski

I know that a slimy texture is prized in many cuisines. Can I ever retrain myself to view slimy food positively and learn to love okra?

wendy Forman

I would like to know the deal with Natto (sp?), a fermented Japanese food that I forced myself to eat at a Yakitori bar many years ago because the bartender was so sure I would be too disgusted to eat it since I was a foreigner. It tasted like sweat socks left in a gym locker. Possibly it is highly prized by locals.

Kate Georgia

Why are we sometimes unable to look away from things that disgust us? (Ie. why do I have to keep checking on the spider I’ve trapped under a glass for someone else to put outside?)

Olivia Eliasson

Is there something that we used to be disgusted about that has become more neutral and vice versa?

Katie Hultman

I am the same way. I can't handle seeing gory injuries but I've been in the room during autopsies with no problem. I think for me it may have to do with the perceived pain involved?

Patricia Evans

How much is disgust "learned" and how much innate? I think of the cultural differences in what people eat and consider "normal" and I have to think a lot of it is learned?

Katie Hultman

Do babies experience disgust? Are there people who aren't able to feel disgust and how could that affect the way they experience the world?

Heather Horton Whedon

What area of the brain is responsible for disgust and revulsion? How variable are the things we are disgusted by? Are there standard, ingrained things which repel us and are there some which are quite individually specific according to life/nurture? By the by I'm fully grossed out at people brushing their teeth on TV or in films. And open-mouthed chewing. The rest I can pretty much handle. Thanks!!

Kalila Elahi

Are there things designed to be disgusting intentionally to keep people from interacting with it? For instance insulation gives me the heebeegeebeies and I just don’t want to ever touch it.

Kathleen Deyling

I am a midwife, backpacker, gardener, dog owner, lover of dirt and compost and blood and guts; and all things that go with being a pretty dirty girl. Oh and sex. However I can’t stand being in the space of others’ grooming or bathroom needs, including partners. Grosses me out. What’s up with that?!

Stephen Moxley

Can we undo disgust? Is there a way to overcome disgust?

Lazer Introlegator

What is the social and cultural role in disgust and is there anything that humans just inherently find disgusting without culture playing a role?

Robin Stumbo

Are there things we're more evolutionarily "hardwired" to find disgusting? I work as a science educator which involves teaching people about cool animals like cockroaches and snakes, and it's interesting how some people are totally fine with them while others are terrified. Our brains are able to recognize the predators of our primate ancestors really well (humans recognize and detect snakes faster than any other animal), which makes sense for them to scare people. But what's up with all the worm disgust??

Amy Copler

Not an expert, but I think that our sensory needs vary a lot and some of us might feel disgusted by smells, textures, sounds, etc while others love them! I would love to know why the sound of people eating makes my skin crawl when I, too, eat and likely make the same sounds that I despise so much.

Mariah Walzer

I heard once on a different podcast that disgust is not an innate emotion (? feeling? what's the best term here?) but one that we learn. So we learn to be disgusted by the things that the people around us are disgusted by. What is your take on this?

Will Clark

There are times when one person does something that disgust me and another person may do the same thing that does not. What does this say about the influence of relationships on disgust?

Bridget Siler

Yes! Curious about irrational disgust- I want to eat bugs but feel repulsed for no logical reason.

Krystal Symons

We know some disgust is societally taught, what's yuck to some cultures isn't to others. Are there any universal human triggers of disgust? - Krystal Symons (sigh-mons 🇦🇺)

Krystal Symons

Are there people who don't experience disgust? Like sociopaths? Krystal Symons (sigh-mons 🇦🇺)

Krystal Symons

What is the link between disgust and shame? Krystal Symons (sigh-mons 🇦🇺)

Gemma

How can we decolonize our disgust?

Gemma

Is there correlation between disgust and autism?

Sharika Elahi

Are feelings of disgust learned or do we naturally get more disgusted by things as we get older?

Sharon

To be kinder to the planet, I want to embrace cricket flour, but I just can NOT get my head around it. How should I train myself to get past this revulsion?

Ms. Nowak

Is is true that there is a link between political ideology and levels of disgust? I remember learning somewhere that conservatives get disgusted more easily than liberals. Is this legit?

Ms. Nowak

1st time asker. Nowak pronounced with a long o and short a. W sound, not a v sound.

JD

why is disgust often linked to nausea?

Emily Yoshida

(could be first time question asker, depending on the taste related questions) How does disgust from more physical stimuli differ from disgust from social stimuli? Or does it at all?

emily burns

what is the evolutionary benefit of disgust?

Laurel

Can you talk about The Icks when it comes to dating and relationships? Why is there such a sudden, irreversible trigger that's sometimes so arbitrary? Can The Icks de unicked?

Kristen Rosenblum

Why are parasites so disgusting and fascinating at the same time? (Looking at you, Hookworm)

Milan Ilnyckyj

Does anybody really puke when they lie like the woman in Knives Out?

Terena

I am a teacher of young children. I’ve been vomited on, peed on, even pooped on, and it doesn’t bother me at all. But after all these years I cannot get used to snot. A kid sneezes on me or needs help with a runny nose I am grossed out. Why can’t I handle snot as easily as vomit?

Sydney Koenig

First time question asker!! I know disgust is deeply tied to cultural morality. Is there an effective way for us to change that so we can all get along better??

princefancypants

Why are some things disgusting to some but okay (or even pleasurable/enjoyable) to others?

mary de voe

Girls get "grossed out" over the silliest things but then when they grow up, most Mommas don't blink twice at truly gross things - is the switch hormonally linked? Sure, maybe so behavioral exposure therapy helps but... I feel like the switch is huge and overnight some women. Why? Thank you!

Kim C

When dealing with people I think disgust seems to come from a breaking of rules/values/boundaries, but in nature it seems to be more about keeping yourself alive i.e. don't eat the rotting food. But then why can I be cool about sharing my space with Spider Frens, while at the same time attempting to physically avoid the masses of cankerworms dangling from trees? Of the two, spiders could potentially bite and cause more harm, but those tiny worms give me the shivers.

Char Harrison

Why can I tolerate most things as a nurse but certain bodily fluids just make me gag, no matter how much I’m exposed to them?

zombot

What do you think of the recent(?) trend of internet videos of (usu.) men triggering (usu.) women's overly sensitive gag reflex by making retching sounds? Do you find them hilarious or abusive? Also, is there a way for someone to desensitize oneself from getting triggered in this way, or is it just hard-wired and impossible to deprogram?

Lele

Not so much a question, more a recommendation: There are (as far as I know) two Disgusting Food Museums out there. One is in Berlin and one in Malmö. The one in Berlin is a fascinating place full of very interesting and arguably disgusting food. There is even a tasting bar for the extra brave. A fun experience that I can absolutely recommend. They have a "days since last puke" counter on a board ^^

Rob Brennan

My research partly focuses on primary and secondary emotions, with disgust often being seen as both. Visceral disgust, which we share with animals, is exemplified by the response to a putrid smell; and moral disgust, which we assume to be uniquely human, is exemplified by most people's response to child sexual abuse. How did the same word come to be applied to these two reactions? Are they the same thing or might English being one's first language make you think that way? (apologies for the long-winded question!)

Mimz

Why are nails so gross to me/people? I'm fine with blood and teeth and lots of other body parts and functions but someones nail getting pulled off or even bent backwards makes me want to vomit. Why? Why? But why?

Cece Tincknell

Omg this is great! Ok so I have some weird food preferences that all seem to be centered around texture and I’m curious why texture can change how I feel about certain foods? For example, raw spinach is great but once you start cooking it down I can’t handle the stringy goopy texture AT ALL. What’s up with that? And why do our sensitivities to gross things change throughout our life?

Julia Vollmer

What causes the gagging or vomiting reflex when someone sees something that grosses them out? Is there an evolutionary advantage to this?

Jean Pompeo

As a kid I was grossed out by anchovies, and now I love the fishy umami they have. Was i grossed out by them because of a lack of exposure? Or still underdeveloped tastebuds? Or are kids just grossed out by more things? Are there any cultural or regional links to things people find gross? Like thousand year eggs are a delicacy in Asia but gross me out entirely, while a friend of mine of asian heritage thought parmesan cheese was the most disgusting food ever and to me it is as good as it gets.

anthony willis

does our disgust form over time as we grow up or are there natural factors that affect it?

Sam

Is disgust a human thing or can other creatures feel it?

Nathalie Jones

Philly is de best Alie!!! I'm curious whether there is an evolutionary reason for disgust? How did it possibly keep our ancestors alive?

Mikayla Humiston

Is there a line or difference between physical and psychological disgust? Why do some people puke when they see/hear other people puke?

Sam and Katie

Why do people with atypical brains have such strong texture repulsion? I cannot stand boba texture in teas, but I love tapioca pudding - and I have friends with similar mental arrangements who love velvet clothing and I need to wash my hands after touching it to get the "ick" off.

Nicole Kleinman

How accurate was the emotion of Disgust from Inside Out?

Nicole Kleinman

I feel a lot of people are disgusted with the word “moist.” Is there a certain trend to disgust?

Nicole Kleinman

When I see a kids snotty, runny nose, I’m immediately disgusted. But my dad would just wipe my nose with his bare hands without a second thought! Does your disgust level change when you become a parent?

Hannah Boyd

How are we able to habituate to certain triggers to still "think" they are disgusting but are able to handle them? Like poop is gross and makes you gag, but then you pick up your dogs daily and you no longer gag

Sarah Meaden

I have no scientific reason behind this but as a parent, somehow yes.

RoadLesTravelled

Thinking about the word itself, does disgust mean not edible as in non-gustatory? Yes, I know, I could look it up but you have the platform to broadcast useful information.

ReigningEmily

Where is the line between disgust and fear? I have a strong revulsion to maggots (the really creepy thiccc ones) that feels similar to my fear of ants (myrmecaphobia) which is based in a real traumatic experience that I had as a child.

Earl of Greymalkin

1) How is disgust trained into kids (thinking about bugs and vegetables) versus what is hard wired into our brains? What about adults (like avoiding foods after food poisoning)? What's the nature vs nurture of disgust? 1a) Are there basic things like bitter tastes that are hard wired as nasty to protect people from poisoning themselves for evolutionary purposes? 1b) I think my palate has changed as I grew up, I remember coffee drinks being disgusting when I was a kid, but now I love mochas. (Peas are still nasty.) As you grow up does what disgusts you naturally change or is it that more life experience leads to acquired tastes? Is the process of acquiring tastes for disgusting things like IPA beers (so icky!) just people overriding evolutionary hardwiring to avoid potential poisons? 2) How do we develop disgust towards.... other people and their fill-in-the-blank characteristics? How can people be trained/train themselves out of this in order to make the world a better place? 3) If one can be disgusted, can you be gusted? Engusted? Begusted?Was that ever a word? 4) What part of the brain does disgust live in? Does that tell us anything about how it works? 5) What about when things are disgusting but fascinating? How does that work?? 6) How much does what people are disgusted by form or inform their identities/conception of who they are? (What are the consequences of using disgusts as a cornerstone of your identity?) Is mutual discussion of disgusts useful as social bonding?

AJ Gray

I have (at least) a few questions! - what are some good examples of humans knowingly utilizing disgust as a means of creating and maintaining social hierarchy? (Such as caste systems) - how do advertisers and corporations use disgust to manipulate us as consumers (such as with toothpaste brands latching onto the idea of plaque).

AJ Gray

There’s a great book called the Anatomy of Disgust by William Ian Miller which he calls the “flip side” of his book Humiliation, both of which are very much about the emotional landscape of each sensation. When people are perhaps lacking in emotion, are they often harder to disgust/humiliate? How might this help or hinder them?

the ren you know

Why do basic emotions frequently "overlap", and present themselves when you're really feeling something else? For example, when a child touches me with their grubby hands, I feel angry. And, what is the importance of recognizing and defining those emotions separately?

Amanda Thorpe

Is there a connection between disgust and the fact that your sense of smell goes straight to the amygdala (vs. other brain mechanism)? Is is a self preservation mechanism to avoid something that is bad/poisonous/rotten?

Kieran H

Why do you sometimes get a full-body shiver when you are grossed out by something? What is your brain/body doing?

Tom Boodry

What can cause someone from to go from tolerating something to having a full body revulsion to the same smell?

Brian Linton

What's the deal with Trypophobia? Why do certain patterns disgust people?

Rebecca Morrison

What's the disgust spectrum? My husband wants to know why something gross me out more than him.

Keely Chavez

I recently rescued a cricket from my sink, but not the cockroach. But then I felt guilty & rescued the roach too (ew!) why are two creatures relatively equivocal, but one disgustes us & the other doesn’t.

makenna mestinsek

FTQA: how have socio-cultural norms and attitudes influenced the way people from different cultures experience disgust?

Kathryn Knopinski

I just want to say that I’m with you on this. I love the idea of Indian saag, but I 100% cannot eat green gloop. I just cannot.

Mathea Graham

Why do some people experience disgust when encountering foods from other cultures even though they're perfectly safe to eat(and oftentimes pretty healthy too)?

kexi

Why could I eat meat once upon a time, when now I hate just looking at it and even more so smelling other peoples BBQ? How did it once smell tasty when it now only smells disgusting dead flesh?

kexi

How come I can only throw disgusting things away when I am neither too full nor too hungry? In both those cases the content of my stomach want to follow, but it's OK when I'm between meals.

Pseudonym Jones IV

Is there an explanation for how certain young children revel in the gross and disgusting? I mean, I was a young child once, but ewww...

The Aerial Mapper

First time question asked! Why are some words/sounds disgusting to people like the word moist? I’ve never met a person who has even a neutral stance on that word

Bass Cliff

First time: Why are we not grossed out by things when we are kids but they become really off-putting as adults?

Bass Cliff

Another first time: Why will some children, within the same family, be totally different in what they find tolerate, participate in, eat, etc.?

kexi

Probably "just" that I haven't eaten any meat in a few years now. But still, don't think that I would hate the smell of e.g. rice if I hadn't eaten it in a while.

terry goss

Is amygdala size actually correlated with disgust threshold?

Holden A. Goose

Was my aunt born a clean freak or is that something she developed?

Bernard Soubry

How can I stop wanting to hurk up my lunch whenever I think of tiny holes in things? ie, is there some sort of exposure based antidisgust therapy?

Joe Wilkie

are humans the only beings that experience disgust? are there things universally recognized in the animal kingdom as disgusting?

Katherine Mae Larson

I heard that our levels for tolerating gross things increases when we are aroused. Is there something going on in the brain that makes fluids and body parts seem less gross when we are horny?? Is it even true?

Lee Horton

Is there an actor, film, or scene that you think does a great job of showing disgust?

Lee Horton

Oh and since we're disgusting it, why did my friends heave in disgust and refuse to me help clean their coffee shop when the awful grease trap backed up and flooded the room? Are some people better at blocking, tolerating, or disassociating disgusting smells? Or do my friends just suck?

Emilie Shely

Oh that's me. Mucous and secretions I just can NOT, under any circumstances, cope. And the longer I'm a Nurse, the weaker my stomach gets.

Emilie Shely

I'm a Nurse, and have been for 16 years. For many years, I'd gotten used to almost everything that used to gag me out. But I'm finding over the last couple of years, my iron stomach is going to jello. I'm having a more difficult time, with gross stuff. I just can't cope with stuff that disgusts me, like I could when I was younger. Is that normal?

Mallory Skinner

Why am I so disgusted by food on wet dishes/in the sink after I just greatly enjoyed said food five minutes before while eating it??

etherealguppy

I foster kittens, and I am completely immune to cat pee, poop, vom, drool, blood, snot, and otherwise. Nothing that comes out of a cat disgusts me anymore. However, if I drink out of a glass, then set it in the sink, it's immediately contaminated, even if I set it right way up. What is happening? Is it all just exposure? Is it love for the cats? Is it motivation (ie if I don't clean litterbox it'll be stinky, but if I don't use this glass again I just need to put another one in the dishwasher later)?

Vincent Beck-Jones

Why are people disgusted by natural bodily functions? They are good indicators of normal/abnormal function. I feel like open discussion and sharing personal experiences would overall benefit people and their health

Annabelle

Is disgust a trustworthy defense mechanism?

Ruby Chan-Frey

Why do people have such different standards for disgust? What’s actually safer?

DeWaine Tollefsrud

First time question: as a former zoo worker and life long educator type person with a curiosity for such things, I have assisted in a fair number of necropsies and dissections of animals with a variety of pathologies and have no issues, even discussing and looking photo documentation over lunch. HOWEVER, teratomas (!) bring me to the gag point even saying or thinking the word, like right now…why?!

Lee T.

I’m neutral. But also curious about this question!

Jenna Breiner

First time question! moist, chunky, oozing phlegm. Why do these words make me want to vomit?? Why does the word vomit make me want to vomit? Is this just a brain association thing or do the sound of the words themselves trigger some physiological reaction in certain people?

Gemma

Is disgust felt differently in autistic individuals because of our nervous system response to uncomfortable stimuli?