Don't Let Your Disgust Turn You Into a Jerk
How American civility is being undone in the age of social media.
Having spent nearly a decade publishing online, I’ve seen emotions fly over seemingly trivial matters and countless innocuous threads devolve into food fights.
Among the many strong emotions used to activate people, disgust is among the most effective. Originally, it evolved to repel us from things that might be poisonous, germy, rotten, or toxic. By design, the mere appearance of discolored bread and the taste of spoiled milk can all make you recoil in an undeniable, visceral way.
Yet, this emotion is being heavily manipulated by the media, people, and influencers to get you to play into their narratives. Here’s how it happens and how to stop it.
We are all susceptible
Researchers long believed conservative voters were most vulnerable to manipulation of disgust. In reality, it is comparable across the aisle.
Conservatives tend to be vulnerable to references to consuming illegal drugs, disrupting a church service, and violating other established cultural norms. Liberal voters are vulnerable to disgust regarding xenophobia and environmental pollution.
COVID was the perfect example of this phenomenon, as we saw a contrasting evangelism of facemasks and disinfecting and the casting of doubt for such measures from opposing outer wings.
Regardless of underlying political beliefs, we are highly susceptible to expressions of emotions and it leads to both damaging conclusions and warping of our behavior.
In a study led by neurobiologist, Dr. Bruno Wicker, researchers found that when participants were shown videos of people’s faces, and those faces showed expressions of disgust, their brains showed activity in the insula and regions of the brain associated with these feelings. It was clear that the mere appearance of these expressions created an emotional contagion.
And if you can invoke these emotions by cherry picking stories from the opposing side, you can easily create a powerful and addictive cycle of content for your readers that warps their worldview.
For example, look at illegal immigration. Those who condemn it don’t usually do so because immigrants carry different languages or cultural values. After all, that’s not something immigrants easily control. They condemn on the grounds that these immigrants bring illegal drugs, weapons, and criminals over the border. It has a much stronger appeal to people’s sensitivities and easily evokes disgust in viewers.
You see the same thing with abortion. Some would have you believe that aborting an 8-week fetus is the equivalent of murdering a 2-year-old. When you attach that type of charged language to these arguments, you are easily positioning people to react powerfully and keep coming back for more and fall into your thought process.
So, how do we combat this manipulation of our disgust?
A key step is to remember that it is happening and spot the underlying mechanics. A good strategy comes from psychiatric clinics.
In 2022, researchers studied obsessive-compulsive disorder patients (who are especially sensitive to disgust). They found that these same patients eventually became far less sensitive to disgust as they were educated about its origins and examined of the triggers that cause it. The mere act of understanding it, rather than simply reacting in each instance, allowed them to step back, be objective, and dial down their response.
Exposure training can easily reduce our sensitivity as well. It’s why medical students become much more comfortable around cadavers in the course of their first year of medical school, why moms get comfortable with dirty diapers, and why sanitation workers become desensitized to the putrid smells they encounter.
Remember that disgust often invokes a strong judgement. This matters because in the broader world, we too quickly judge people of different backgrounds. When I installed equipment in people’s homes in college, I often saw some unseemly things and chaos within the houses I entered each day. Homes were messy, smelly, in various levels of disrepair.
Initially, I scoffed at them. I was too judgmental, drawing too many conclusions about people who lived differently. I didn’t consider that the person may have trouble keeping up with their home because of a disability, mental illness, or other factor outside of their control. I also disregarded that a person has the freedom to live as they choose in their home, just as any of us, and I shouldn’t judge them so harshly for that.
More broadly, if you travel outside of the country, you’ll likely see things that make you feel disgusted, but it’s best to resist that instinct. Give pause and respect other traditions and ways of living, and see what it can teach you. Treat it as an exercise in empathy.
For example, one of the best sources of protein on this planet is readily available at our beckoning. It’s healthy, cheap, and has little ecological fallout. Some cultures already indulge in it. But few are interested — because it’s bugs. They can be far more healthy than many of the foods we eat, yet most of you, like me, aren’t too eager to try one or even see people eating them.
Yet, again, an experiment in Denmark showed that this sense of disgust towards bugs can be depleted by exposing people to it more.
Though this example might feel extreme, it is a reminder that your first exposure to something radically different will usually be the most jarring. Account for this ahead of time and brace for impact with an open mind.
A parting reminder and warning
Let’s be clear: using disgust, or any visceral emotion to manipulate people, is problematic and correlates to psychopathy and Machiavellianism — the desire to warp the hearts and minds of people regardless of the means and consequences. So we should avoid it as much as we can.
Conversely, disgust has a place in this world. It’s a worthy and noble emotion when we see injustice, crime, and clear violations of righteous living. But be aware that your emotions are pawn chips being played by many forces in this world.
Remember to practice awareness of this manipulation. For example, because I’m a content creator who spends substantial time crafting headlines, I can attest it’s a good place to start noticing these underlying mechanics.
The next time you see a headline on your YouTube, or any digital feed, and you feel an immediate sense of disgust or any strong emotion — pause. Then, look at the wording chosen for that headline. There’s usually power-words that are crammed in there. Sometimes, they all-caps a verb in the title to make it seem more dramatic and problematic. Analyze the author’s intent.
Then, as the researchers did with OCD patients, say to yourself, “You aren’t messing with my insula today.”
As another exercise, start thinking back at when a news network or user riled you up over a story. Can you remember which one? Ask yourself if that feeling was truly worth it.
I stopped watching big news networks because I eventually asked myself these very questions — and realized the answer was a resounding “No.”
Your emotions and energy are treasured chips that you should keep on your side of the table. Don’t allow any person or entity to rule over them without a valid reason.
This world needs more patience, empathy, and understanding, not the increasing sprint to judgment that continues proliferating.
Beware of the disgust manipulators. Beware of disgust itself: many experts contend it is a problematic emotion, as it is rigid, and too easily cements “others” as villains, worthy of condemnation. Reserve your judgment and keep an open heart and mind for the world around you.
Once you see the manipulation happening, it loses its power.
I'm a former financial analyst turned writer out of Tampa, Florida. I write story-driven content to help us live better and maximize our potential.