DeepSummary
The episode explores the concept of disgust, which is considered a defining human characteristic that separates us from other animals. Disgust is thought to have evolved from an involuntary distaste reaction to protect us from ingesting harmful substances. Over time, it developed into an emotion triggered by imagination and symbolism, extending beyond just food aversions.
The discussion covers different categories of disgust, including core disgust (towards contaminants like vomit), animal nature disgust (reminders of our animal nature), and moral disgust (towards unethical behaviors). Cultural differences in what is considered disgusting are also highlighted, indicating that disgust is not entirely universal.
Theories on the evolutionary origins and adaptive functions of disgust are examined, such as the idea that it helped our ancestors avoid disease and maintain a sense of being distinct from other animals. However, some aspects of disgust, like the aversion to corpses before germ theory, remain puzzling and not fully explained.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Disgust is considered a defining human characteristic that separates us from other animals, possibly evolving as a mechanism to avoid ingesting harmful substances and maintain a sense of being distinct from other animals.
- Disgust can be categorized into core disgust (towards contaminants), animal nature disgust (reminders of our animal nature), and moral disgust (towards unethical behaviors).
- While the emotion of disgust itself appears to be universal, the specific triggers for disgust reactions vary across cultures and individuals.
- Disgust is thought to have evolved from an involuntary distaste reaction, but over time developed into an emotion triggered by imagination and symbolism, extending beyond just food aversions.
- Evolutionary psychologists attempt to explain disgust as a universal adaptation, but some aspects of disgust, like the aversion to corpses before germ theory, remain puzzling and not fully explained.
- Cultural differences in what is considered disgusting highlight that disgust is not entirely universal, with some cultures finding acceptable what others find disgusting.
- Disgust reactions bypass conscious thought and intellect, suggesting an innate, instinctive response that may have adaptive functions in avoiding potential sources of harm or disease.
- The extent to which disgust reactions can be learned or unlearned over time, and the role of personal experiences and cultural conditioning, is also a topic of discussion.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “To him, disgust is the thing, the emotion, the experience that makes humans human, that it is disgust that separates us from the other animals that we share the animal kingdom with, so much so that we actually may use disgust to separate ourselves from the rest of the animals.“ by Speaker B
- “So one of the reasons why there is this idea of it being universal is because evolutionary psychology, as we'll see, has said like, yes, this is our realm, we've got this. We're going to explain this one. And to fully explain it, it basically has to be universal.“ by Speaker B
- “Where did we get the idea that a body caused disease and that you could become polluted by some weird magical transference of this disease by handling or coming in close contact with the body?“ by Speaker B
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Episode Information
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
2/3/24
Disgust is an odd thing. It makes sense that we would feel a sense of revulsion at the thought of putting rotten meat in our mouths – that’s pure evolution. But why would we feel the same emotion at the thought of weird sex or from hearing a racist rant? Find out more in this classic episode.
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