Believe it or not, there is a scale for measuring how sensitive you are to disgust. It was co-developed by Jonathan Haidt in the mid-2000s, before he became a pop-psych celebrity by taking his research into the political realm. The disgust scale asks people how much they agree with statements like "I might be willing to eat monkey meat under some circumstances" and "It would bother me to see a rat run across my path in a park", or how disgusting they find the thought of "a friend offers you a piece of chocolate shaped like dog poo" or "discovering an acquaintance drank from the glass you're sipping on".
If any of these made you go "Eww!" and scrunch up your nose (the universal sign you're experiencing the emotion of disgust), then you may wish to turn the page...
I'm thinking about disgust because my wife texted on Monday to say she was worried our "wastewater" pump wasn't a-pumping. I use quote marks because everything goes into that pump tank, not just water. So I headed home and spent almost an hour with my nose screwed up.
Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra June 3-9 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
