How does your mind react to Disgust?

Disgust, the emotion, is a strong dislike to disapproval triggered by a feeling that something is toxic. 

The instinctive feeling of disgust, one of the seven core emotions, has been hard wired into your brain as an evolutionary survival mechanism. Disgust arises to warn you that something is toxic, that it should be expelled from your body or your life for survival. In prehistoric times, this would be something, like a poison that is toxic to your body. Over time, disgust has taken on a socio-moral aspect and how it is triggered depends on your mind. 

The emotion disgust, in your mind, is activated both by socio-moral or pathogen (smell, taste, touch) cues and regulates risk through behavior. Some triggers for socio-moral or pathogen disgust are universal to humankind, such as murder, rape or peadophiles. Others can be culturally orientated. 

The instinctive thinking process of disgust activates a different part of your brain (insular cortex) than the other instinctive emotions (amygdala). Everybody feels in a unique way, some more than others and there are aspects of disgust that can be personal, e.g. a reaction to the sight of blood.

Darwin first wrote about disgust and it is thought to be one of the first instinctive emotions to evolve in humans (other instinctive emotions would include anger, fear, surprise, joy, desire). In 2009, Tybur et al., as outlined in Wikipedia, further defined the emotion disgust into three types: 

‘pathogen disgust, a form of ‘behavioral immune system’ that motivates the avoidance of infectious or poisonous substances. 

Sexual disgust arises in order to avoid ‘biologically costly mates’ through genetic compatibility (incest taboo) or quality (attractiveness etc.). 

Moral or Socio-moral disgust “pertains to social transgressions’ which avoids social relationships with norm-violating individuals, such as liars, thieves, murderers and rapists, as such relationships threaten social cohesion.  

Some thinking on disgust is personal 

At a social, moral or physical level, when you feel disgust, except for universal triggers, the intensity of the feeling very much depends on what you think about it. At a physical level such as reactions to food or smell or drink, your reaction will depend on your mind. Universally, across cultures, certain smells and foods will disgust all people whereas others are specifically dependent on your mind. For example, eating frogs delights some whereas disgusts others. The intensity of what you feel very much depends on what you think about it, varying from mild distaste to a feeling of nausea.

Socio-Moral Disgust in your mind affects your body 

Disgust today is much more complex than it was for early human kind. Darwin is thought to be the first to identify disgust over a century ago and more recently researchers have started to look at the socio-moral angle of disgust (Curtis & Biran, 2001). Generally, socio-moral disgust starts in the mind but it instigates behavioural changes in your body, either avoiding or recoiling from the object of disgust or even a feeling of being sick in your stomach. Socio-moral disgust can vary across cultures, particularly in regard to foods or cultural habits. Ignoring your feeling of disgust can lead to body pain issues over time. 

Disgust for others originates in your mind 

Disgust for others originates predominantly in your mind with the possible exception of the state of their body, such as deep wounds or extremely strong smells, which can elicit an instinctive body reaction. Healthcare professionals, who have regular mental exposure to such physical situations and a professional stance towards patients for the love of their job will master any instinctive reactions. As society has evolved, people have learnt to mentally overcome instinctive reactions of disgust to other people. You may find yourself disgusted with someone’s behavior, in which case your reaction is based on your thinking of what is morally or socially acceptable. Socio-moral disgust develops as society evolves and there is a balance between what is prejudiced disgust and socially acceptable disgust. For example society has moved from ostracizing the ‘deformed’ into ‘freak shows’ to a greater social acceptance for disability. Generally, with disgust for others, people assume an avoidance strategy. Sometimes, this is impossible and your emotion gets internalized. Not being able to express your emotion can lead to stress. On a serious level, disgust can be an emotional response to abuse. As Hilary j Hendel, LCSW, writes in ‘Psychology today: “We naturally feel disgusted in response to someone who has abused us. Validating disgust can decrease anxiety and shame from trauma.”

Disgust for yourself can be a dangerous dialogue in your mind 

Generally, unless you faint at the sight of your own blood, disgust at yourself takes the form of socio-moral disgust. Given that the instinctive emotion of disgust acts as a behavioural risk avoidant, disgust at yourself can sometimes be a regulator for ‘good’. You may have a terrific hangover or be disgusted at your behavior and this can be a sign for you to change. At other times, the voice in your head can be misleading for example in the case of body image issues.

Love can overcome your mind’s disgust sensitivity 

Normally the sight and smell of feces or other foul bodily odours sets off instinctive disgust and yet a parent can easily change nappies or a child look after a sick parent. Generally, your mind overcomes your disgust sensitivity when it comes to a loved one, powered by ‘oxytocin’, known as the love hormone. Just as with all core instinctive emotions, some feel more strongly than others and overcoming a disgust sensitivity is a very individual thing. It is also a question of training the mind to live with the instinctive emotions, and, in the case of overcoming disgust for a loved one, creating tolerance through exposure.

Mental disgust affects more women than men

Disgust has evolved as a risk regulator, a way of avoiding the wrong mating strategy such as incest or the risk of disease from external toxins. Generally, women have a greater propensity for disgust than men (Adam Sparks et al, 2018, Emotion). Possibly, particularly in sexual disgust, women’s bodies can be more vulnerable to infection. In the same study, it is assumed that this sex difference is a particular feature of the mind more than the body. Another scientific study has found that when disgusted, women find it more difficult to reach sexual arousal (Marianna Mazza et 2015).

Disgust changes as you age 

Children are not as disgusted by certain things as adults, for example even playing with dog excrement. As you age, learned social behaviours and your thinking develops, and so does your taste and what you perceive to be disgusting. Teenagers have a much higher tolerance for things that adults find disgusting, such as dirty clothes or unwashed plates. Cultural norms change over time and education changes some instinctive disgust thus averting the negative implications of disgust such as excluding or persecuting others. 

Instinctive emotions are like the weather, beyond your conscious control. For a balanced life, the first step is to understand human instinctive emotions, how they work and practical steps to take in order to avoid situations that are destructive to emotional wellbeing. Not every instinctive emotion that is acted on has positive consequences. Sometimes, it may be best to take shelter from the storm. Disgust is an instinctive emotion, originally evolved for physical survival. Today, socio-moral disgust is a key element of the emotion, a trigger in your body, mind and soul for action.