Disgust, A Forgotten Emotion

Little is said about disgust or disgust, however it is one of the basic emotions. When we go to eat something and we perceive an unpleasant smell, we automatically release the food. The same happens when we smell something unpleasant in the kitchen, we know that something is rotting and we must get rid of it because it can harm our health. But  what is really disgust?

Do you remember the last time you experienced disgust? How did you feel? Was it with some food? Have you tried it again? Would you be able to eat an insect? Do you think that feeling disgusted by some things or others can be a cultural experience?

Since we are little, disgust is present in our lives, regardless of its intensity. For this reason, it is important to know what is hidden behind this emotion, since sometimes something other than the purely toxic is hidden, such as our way of perceiving the world. Let’s go deeper.

When do we experience disgust?

We feel disgusted when we eat something toxic or are around it. It is an adaptive reaction that prevents us from experiencing unpleasant situations that are harmful to health.  Now, this emotion can also arise from an idea that causes us disgust. Therefore, in the background of this emotion is the intention to avoid the risk of being contaminated.

For example, when we open the refrigerator ready to eat a good slice of watermelon and find that it is half rotten, we do not consider the possibility of eating that piece, we simply throw it away. Its poor condition has informed us that it can harm our health and put us in danger. Or perhaps, when we want to add milk to the coffee and open the container, we have noticed a sour smell that is too strong. Then we have thrown the milk down the drain.

The bad appearance and smell of many foods tell us that it is better to throw them away than eat them, since they can endanger our going out. In this way, we can consider disgust as an adaptive emotion that keeps us from living these types of intoxicating situations.

As a curiosity, say that disgust is related to the insular cortex according to different studies. In fact, injuries to this structure prevent both the experience of this emotion and its recognition in others.

Is disgust cultural?

The experience of disgust can vary between cultures. Despite being an emotion that helps us avoid dangers to the body, it is true that depending on the culture, there are foods that despite not being toxic, can produce more or less disgust. However, it is important to note that this emotion has a characteristic facial expression that can even be observed in people who are blind from birth, in addition to having a typical physiological, psychological and behavioral response.

In Spain there are few who doubt the delicacy of eating a prawn dish, but would you eat a plate of crickets or a plate of grasshoppers? In some countries insects can be real delicacies, while in others they arouse the deepest aversion.

Even within the same country, a recipe can be a pleasure for many and a horror for others. Snails are a clear example of this. I am not based on any scientific study but I have realized that there are people who love it and people who cannot even see them. So this emotion is also implicit in the personality and in the education that each individual receives.

It is true that there are more basic issues that tend to disgust most of us, such as a bad appearance or foul smell, but it is important to take into account the influence of culture. Depending on this, we may feel more or less rejection.

Ideological disgust

Without a doubt, experiencing disgust helps us keep our body away from toxicity, but this emotion goes beyond the purely nutritional and moves to the ideological sphere. Many people express the disgust they feel towards another culture, race, religion, countries … And it is that under these ideas, that is, in the background of this emotion, the thought of toxicity also hides.

Some people perceive other ideologies as toxic to themselves. They think that in some way they can damage their beliefs or their life in general. Racism and xenophobia, for example, derive from this type of disgust. When considering other races and other people as toxic, we tend to reject and avoid them.

According to the results of the research carried out by Paul Rozin, a psychologist dedicated to the study of this emotion,  “elaborate disgust is a reaction of rejection to events that remind us of our animal nature . “

Rozin and her collaborators point out that despite the fact that disgust is a defense mechanism that originated to avoid animal contaminants in the beginning, little by little it has been dissociated from those organic elements and we can become disgusted by someone who violates the moral rules. As we can see, this emotion has an interesting evolutionary history.

In addition, according to these authors, the fact of feeling disgusted by those who are racists, abusers or anyone whose behavior is considered negative could mean that we are assuming the role of protector of human dignity within the social order. What you think?