Why Some People Give Us "The Ick"

The neuroscience and psychology behind an offputting nature.

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What gives you the ick? This term has taken the social media spheres by storm and has even landed itself in the official Cambridge dictionary. Everyone everywhere seems to feel “the ick” nowadays (myself included). We feel it when we look at politicians, meet new romantic partners, and even hang out with our friends.

You’ve got the ick. I’ve got the ick. We’ve all got the ick…but what does that really mean? Those answers are simple. The question that we should be asking ourselves is where the ick comes from and how do we deal with it like rational adults?

What does “the ick” look like?

Most of us have been experiencing “the ick” long before it became a term of the zeitgeist. It’s a fundamental part of being human. When we see things (or people) who are offputting, we get turned off and even repulsed or disgusted.