Discuss Disgust

Exploring Disgust: I got questions.

We don't often think twice about Disgust. But why is it a thing vs just to avoid a bad thing. But when and how do we learn to be disgusted by gross things? Indeed when did it become tied to an emotional thing. What things that are disgusting are universally human (and what are they), and what about cross species? Indeed, when did disgust become a thing?

If Babies Aren’t Born with Disgust, When Do They Learn It?

• If infants explore the world without a sense of disgust, at what age do they start to develop this emotion?

• How do toddlers begin to show signs of disgust around the age of two? What role do parents and caregivers play in teaching them what is gross?

Is Disgust Uniquely Human?

• If disgust is seen as a complex emotion, do animals experience it in the same way humans do?

• What about animals that don’t show much disgust? How do they avoid harmful substances without this emotion?

• How did our ancestors benefit from feeling disgusted by certain things? Did it help them survive by avoiding toxins and pathogens. And is this STILL a thing? What about moldy cheese vs rotting meats (in a good way).