Stopping Disgust from Undoing American Civility
How to prevent your emotions from being manipulated
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.
