Disgust is one of the most difficult emotions to manage or control. It takes a lot of will power to combat that feeling and to actually overcome it. Let us discover why!

How Do We Look at Disgust?

We feel disgust when we see something offensive. Disgust can be identified by a feeling of aversion towards something that we have perceived through our sense organs. We may feel disgusted at an idea, a thought, or someone’s actions too.

Some of the most common things that evoke a feeling of disgust include expelled body products (feces, vomit, mucus, blood, and urine), exposed bodily insides, and something rotten or diseased. These are fairly universal in nature.

However, disgust is also a learned emotion based on upbringing, culture, and beliefs. Some people get disgusted with specific kinds of foods (most people find the consumptions of certain meats that are not common in their culture as disgusting), actions considered perverse (sexual inclinations), and practices. 

Interestingly, we accept disgust more easily than anger or fear. The emotion is highly associated with an intrinsic reaction that is more physical than mental. It is associated with a repulsive feeling in the mouth, accompanied by nausea and a desire to vomit. And this may very well be the one aspect that needs to change about the way we look at disgust!

The Necessity of Disgust

Like fear, disgust is also a withdrawal emotion. It leads us to cringe and move away from the source of the emotion. If you inspect the more universal triggers of disgust, it is evident that this emotion was meant to protect us from disease and therefore necessary for survival.

It helped the hunter-gatherer stay away from offensive, rotting, poisonous, or contaminated food. It even helps us today from staying away from open sores to avoid catching infection or disease. In society, it helps us stay away from those who are not considered morally upright, thereby protecting your own moral integrity. When you feel disgusted with someone who abuses, you are sure to stay away from such activities yourself!

Disgust can take many forms ranging from dislike, aversion, or distaste, to repugnance, revulsion, abhorrence, or loathing.

The Tight Rope Walk of Disgust

Disgust has its advantages in protecting us from disease. It remains relevant, even today, to keep us away from nefarious elements in society.

However, the learnt aspects of disgust are far more potent in the kind of world that we live in. We can look at the expiry date on a product to ascertain whether a specific food should be consumed or not. But there is no warning symbol that presents itself when we get disgusted based on biases, prejudices, and beliefs that are learnt.

Many societies teach avoidance of certain kinds of people and specific actions. These are often considered morally disgusting. Someone who has grown up believing that LGBT behavior is unnatural and against the will of God, may very easily feel disgusted at seeing two men kissing. Someone who believes that people of a different race are dumb or aggressive may consciously or unconsciously harbor biases that lead to disgust.

In a world that has become a melting pot for all nations, religions, and races, disgust is the one emotion that can come in the way of our ability to accept and include.

(Please note that I do not use the word ‘tolerate’ because I believe that tolerance is not the same as acceptance. Tolerating someone implies that you think you are superior to the other person and you are being grandiose by tolerating their behavior, presence, beliefs, or actions. Acceptance is acknowledging that they have every right to live and partake of this planet as you do!)

Disgust, as an emotion, tends to err on the safe side. Without a check on this emotion, it can lead to ostracizing the elderly and the sick, keeping the lower classes at bay, labeling different people as dumb, dirty, or immoral. People in power or seeking to gain power can easily use this emotion to contaminate the minds of the masses.

Too much disgust also leads to becoming phobic, falling prey to OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), or becoming paranoid.

Too less disgust can lead to hygiene issues and lack of social manners as we become careless to hygienic rituals and social decorum.

Managing Disgust

Disgust is largely a subjective emotion that is mostly based on beliefs. Children do not feel disgust until the age of about 4 to 5 years. They find some foods distasteful but they do not feel disgusted at the idea of eating a poop-shaped chocolate.

Disgust is a complicated emotion that is created and nurtured by our experiences, social interactions, personality, and culture.

It is important to manage disgust in order to avoid falling into the dark side of disgust. It can help you use this emotion for your protection while keeping you away from racism, bigotry, exploitation, and exclusion.

• Identify the trigger or source of disgust – This is not difficult to do since you are likely to cringe from the source of your disgust. However, it is necessary that you pay attention to your reaction and acknowledge to yourself that you are feeling this aversion.
• Question your disgust emotion – You may feel that it is okay to feel disgust if it is keeping you safe from potential harm. This is, however, a thin line, to manage. You may feel that you are protecting yourself by staying away from a certain race of people, but that may not be a helpful thought. Ask yourself why it is okay to be disgusted by the source. How is being disgusted helping you in any way?
• Understand yourself better – Sometimes, the roots of the disgust go back to your childhood years when you may have learned something about the thing that disgusts you. We learn that rotten food tastes really bad and so we feel disgusted when we see something putrid. Similarly, think about what you have learned about the source of your disgust and whether it really is true or not. Questioning your beliefs can lead you to expansion and leaps in self-development.
• Empathize – Empathy is the most potent attack against disgust. We may feel disgusted by vomit but when your own sick child or loved one is feeling sick and vomits, we are able to overcome that long-held emotion of disgust to help those in need. Inculcate empathy by learning more about the thing or person that disgusts you and you will be able to understand and empathize better.

Allowing disgust to overpower you can keep you from expanding your horizons, learning, knowledge, experiences, and self-development. Practice the balancing act of managing disgust and be more inclusive, accepting, compassionate, and loving. There is a lot to gain from letting go of disgust than by holding on to it!

See my posts on other emotions here.

Want to understand what disgusts you or want to discover how to manage your disgust feelings? Get in touch with me for an introductory chat.