The strange politics of disgust | David Pizarro

[@FatDave2112]

Lotta people in the comments here saying "correlation is not causation", and that's absolutely true. However, he talks about further experiments that were done where they induced a more conservative reaction from people by exposing them to varying levels of disgust. Randomly selected people gave more conservative survey answers after experiencing disgust (the study group) than randomly selected people who didn't experience disgust (the control group). That pretty firmly establishes causation. This is how science works. A study shows a correlation. They wonder what the cause is. They devise an experiment to try to determine the cause. They run the experiment, probably multiple times because the bigger the data set, the less prone to errors and statistical outliers. They publish the results. Other scientists repeat the experiment (peer review). And usually by that time, we can draw a pretty clear conclusion. In this case, that disgust causes conservatism. He kinda sums this up in his closing statement. To paraphrase, science may not always give us all the answers, but at least it shows us what questions we should be asking. Well, for my money, the best way to answer those new questions is with more science. Of course not every question is easy to design an experiment around. I imagine it gets pretty sticky when we get deep into human nature like this.

[@maxfedor1]

David Jayne lawrence krauss also puts it well, science does not tell us what is right, but it does tell us what is wrong

[@KemaTheAtheist]

I love talks like this because it allows me to make my actions more rational because I know I might be acting irrationally under certain conditions. Simply knowing stuff like this, the Dunning-Kruger effect, how bad our memory is, how easy it is to trick our senses, and others are the greatest tools in getting people to think and act rationally.

[@victory_jade]

One of my personal favorite TED talks. Extremely fascinating.

[@hungryghost502]

I'm a Libertarian. The last time I voted I let loose a horrendous silent but deadly fart while standing in line. The guy behind me with an elephant on his hat puked on the floor. Made my day. :-)

[@morten3138]

He looks more like a "Tamler" than a "David".

[@niklasandersson4352]

He got the same voice as Chris Griffin

[@LordOfLogic]

This makes complete sense if one follows the theory that every behavor stems from the need for nutrition (food), emotional and physical security (shelter), and being 98.6 degrees (clothing). Undertand that the brain only experiences the real world through its senses. So emotional and physical security are rally not that different. Disgust is more a retraction from emotional security. Parents often pass down fears, why would it not continue to think they pass down disgust.

[@caseyharless198]

This talk inspired me to write a 13 page paper, reviewing the Bowers v. Hardwick case with disgust as a possible judicial influence. I learned a whole lot. Very interesting.

[@tumblingrosesstudio]

Is the paper available online?

[@BobStein]

I wonder if disgust is an ancient signal of overcrowding, or resource-depletion.

[@joshuaroman9354]

That's my professor!

[@oliverthered]

what happens when I am disgusted by conservative politics?

[@Crazee108]

I haven't read much on the ideas/theories about why we feel fear and disgust... but I assumed they were closely related anyway. I agree with you -- there are certain things that we find disgusting becase we're afraid it will cause us harm in some way and obviously we're afraid of getting ill etc... andddd ignorance... oh ignorance. People used to (or maybe still do) think that if you share drinks/food with a gay person, you can "catch" the "disease"... T_T

[@Kissaki0]

I was eating while watching this. No problem. Internet made me strong!

[@Rachel-og8jy]

It's obvious that viewers supportive of different political parties are going to interpret this differently. Conservatives may view this "disgust" reaction as an instinctual indicater of the better and worse choice. Liberals (and, from what I've seen in the comments, defensive conservatives) may interpret this as only a primitive mindset. Neither side can be said to be perfectly right or wrong. Perhaps the study even put this correlation is the wrong causational order - it's possible that political standing affects disgust sensitivity, instead of the other way around. Regardless, this guy obviously offers sound data and an interesting correlation to be studied further in the future.

[@chessicles99]

It amuses me how many defensive conservatives are trying to tell an Ivy League psychology professor that the scientific method BS...

[@dobsr1184]

chessicles99 No agree with him Liberals will more likely to bang a animal.

[@michaelmitchell7734]

It amazes me that you are disgusted with conservatives. Does that make you more conservative? Correlation or causation?

[@iamspid3rman]

There are so many variables that aren't taken into account in these experiments, that I don't see how it can be considered research.

[@riddler251]

Because its pointless. This is specifically about disgust, and I think it is fair to say, most people are more than aware how disgust affects us. That being said, if it were over a factor that is not apparent to us, then sure worth the time.

[@gdgd1223]

Great talk. Emotion causing our political judgements is not proven here, however. Correlation is not causation.

[@Kojak7snap]

I suppose that one thing commonly associated with conservative politics is protection; protection against the new, the different, the scary. Xenophobia was a very useful tool during our evolution, as it kept us away from many things that might have harmed us. I think xenophobia and disgust are closely linked.

[@tattot15]

12:02 did he fart?

[@trippy6183]

Were you disgusted?

[@liquidminds]

actually. homo sapiens is said to have evolved it's large brain due to consumption of fish. The Consumption of Meat was more a neanderthal thing, who as we know sadly died underneath our clubs and stones.... But In general you are right. Without animal protein, the human evolution wouldn't have happened the way it did. Eventhough "cooked meat" was a larger leap for us than meat per se, as it is digested more easily giving enough energy for brain-development.

[@Neceros]

Strangely, it doesn't. Money is miniscule in the pile that is my desires. However, when people can't get the help they need because they can't afford it, my mind starts to devalue Doctors. This has been going on for a very long time, so. subsequently, their value has continued to drop.

[@chrishwk]

As a very liberal person, I guess that means I'm pretty hard to disgust. This was one of the more interesting TED talks I've seen lately.

[@saleemisgod]

So the most disgusting amongst us are also the most easily disgusted. Makes sense.

[@liquidminds]

I personally believe that there is some sort of meta-genome on a protein-basis, that determines according to our experiences, which DNA-Sequences will be more or less important. Recent studies also show, that evolution takes place a lot faster than everyone expected. I think we don't know enough about evolutionary processes to make final conclusions about what finally drove our evolution towards larger brains. For sure is only, that larger brains need more energy than smaller ones.

[@CognosSquare]

Not being disgusted frees one up to do a more rational decision rather than an involuntary emotional one.

[@22f94]

Yes and No

[@WeGetWildTV]

We've had 4 years of this "poor" so I don't really know how you came to that conclusion.

[@robrectec]

I admire your appetite.

[@kathykois]

I consider myself conservative but I am not easily disgusted - "71% Liberal". This is so politically one sided, it should not suggest that is it "science".

[@darnell8897]

The data is sounds. Why do you say it is politically one sided?

[@GrayOlson]

The fact that there are outliers does not mean that the conclusion is invalid.

[@Oogtug]

www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(14)01213-5?_returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982214012135%3Fshowall%3Dtrue Here you go it is science. They can predict your political affiliation with an MRI with 98% accuracy. It's more likely you wrongly categorize yourself as a conservative due to outside influences than it is likely you're an anomaly of their study.

They can predict with 98% accuracy with MRI scans on brain regions known for disgust. Those 2% exist and you may be one of them.

[@moristar]

I just though at the end of the video: what if those studies just show us not what people actually think and will do, but how they will answer to a person which shown a signs of disgust? Like when I'm being asked by a person which so afraid of swine flu that asks me to wash my hands before I answer some questions - I'm going to be conservative TO THAT PERSON. While when I'm talking to a drunk dirty punk I'll be maybe much more liberate than I actually am. What if it's all just social behavior?

[@eatcarpet]

DUDE I'M SUPER EASILY DISGUSTED AND I'M VERY VERY LIBERAL. THIS IS BOGUS.

[@TheLivirus]

Keep in mind that evolution is a driscrete process. A creature's genome remain the same throughout its' life time, regardless of what it eats. It's only the probability of reproduction and raising offspring that changes. Although meat/fish might enhance the positive effects of having an advanced brain, it's generally considered that it was a drastic environmental change that was the main factor that drove the genetic drift towards higher intelligence.

[@ContagiousRepublic]

This means you can make GLORIOUS anti-pollution propaganda to push conservative voters to vote for the green new deal by making sure they FEEL the disgusting pollution results visually!!!

[@me3tv]

I took the test and it labeled me a Democrat brain but I detect some flaw in the logic. I think a lot of conservatives have little tolerance and disgust easily but a lot if conservatives are also accepting of differences and variances in life, depending on experience, while yet encouraging greater opportunity for statistical normalcy

[@UltraRobbie]

Very interesting, especially how such small stimulants can affect such large decisions.

[@Neceros]

Yeah, you seem to have it. Let's be straight tho, I'm not devaluing the people who are doctors, I'm devaluing the profession itself. When things are put on a pedestal, they tend to get valued higher than they should be.

[@ExterminatorElite]

Hey! I'm trying to have my lunch over here!

[@Crazee108]

I'm eating dinner and second guessing whether I should watch this... since ppl are mentioning poop in the comments. *watches vid anyway

[@riddler251]

There is a link, so what? It is a pointless link. It is the same as if a link were to be found between people who eat chocolate tending to be more tolerant of interracial relationships. Just because the link exists, doesn't mean the link has any substance. My point is just because an apparent correlation can be found, doesn't necessarily mean that one actually influences the other. My politics are completely separate from my gag reflex, even if a link can be found between the two.

[@sufficientlyoldskool]

It turned out to be a issue with the Nvidia driver on Linux. It was really weird because all the other colors were fine, but everyone's skin was blue. It really freaked me out, I thought I was losing my mind lol.

[@PangRenTan]

correlation of interesting stats often make good ted talks

[@Waltham1892]

Correlations of -.1 to -.3 aren't all that significant...

[@plasmaballin]

They aren't all that strong, but they are significant. In statistics, significant just means "unlikely to be due to chance".

[@ZacharySmith89]

Interesting that you say such, as Jonathan Haidt cited experiments suggesting that liberals misunderstand conservatives more than vice versa. Of course, it is more complicated than just disgust. I'd suggest that anyone watch Jonathan Haidt's TEDTalk or read his book if interested in conservatism-vs-liberalism.

[@splorqqqq]

great stuff, like always. thanks TED

[@saadasim]

I don't disgust easily but Tea Partiers and Fascists thoroughly disgust me.

[@HigherPlanes]

If you earn less than $200 thousand a year, Mitt Romney thinks you're disgusting

[@juanky525]

Is it disgusting when an undercover slips visine on your drink and you wake up in jail. as far as I know drinking is not ilegal. hanging out with someone who is ondercover is not bad as long as you know your limmits but when he did that shit to me and I woke up in jailo, lost my car, appartment, property I am very disgusted at people who dont ware uniforms but are security non the less. They bring this " I want to strangle them' reflex/emotion. For some reason they falow me home too. Lawsute?

[@frunchzz]

I felt the urge to wash my hands after watching this video. Anyone who finds those images disgusting must be new here, though.

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

hmm have to admit the title made me leary but I listened to it all, and it was interesting

[@AstroSquid]

I wonder how much people reactions are more influenced by expectations of group thinking, vs individual thinking. If you don't react negative to stepping in poo, for example, then people might think you like poo, so if that person doesn't react negativity, people will ridicule that person, or give them gifts of poo, etc. I would suspect people awareness how much their reactions are a dynamic of perceived group pressure vs individual of this would vary tremendously. It's very possible people aren't even aware of how much group thought influences individual thinking. But I guess that's a another type of study, I would assume it's more about understanding social conditioning and how it's done, vs just studying socially conditioned people's reactions.

[@tinolino58]

that was a cool information! Thanks

[@ZOMGbies]

It has a correlation with left/right bias, it doesn't cause it. People who are more disgusted at things are that way inclined because they they think less deeply about what they're seeing, and not beyond their reflex reactions. Whereas people less disgusted are simply realising there's nothing to fear, it's just a picture/hypothetical, and thinking beyond the immediate situation and rationalise it. The same methods of thinking cause people to arrive at the respective political beliefs.

[@davidk8543]

You're an excellent armchair psychologist

[@TheFireflyGrave]

Cool. Next do a video on the not-strange disgust of politics.

[@juliannamagee2320]

Ironically there doesn't seem to be any correlation between conservatives and infectious disease precautions though

[@alexjohnson6192]

i thought the same thing. It does seem like the opposition to vaccines could be partially based on a stronger disgust response to a foreign substance being injected into the body.

[@elitasit6288]

Wow! Fascinating!

[@NonFatRacer]

shut up

[@iamspid3rman]

There's randomization, double blind designs,placebos, etc. These are things found in a high quality study. Only a simpleton would heed to such 'research'.

[@naradealmeidalopes977]

It makes a lot of sense. Cool !

[@briarrose7016]

I personally find this to be interesting, but not compelling evidence of anything. I only vote conservatively due to a select few issues, whilst I am not disgusted by much and often lean towards the liberal side in conversations. People are individuals at the end of the day, and we shouldn't encourage groupthink.

[@drainocleanser]

I don't see anything wrong with using disgust in its more extended dynamic applications.

[@LiberApolion]

People have the potential to change. Many people saw the nazis with contempt, but after the Milgram experiment they proved to be no better. And if people has a plastic way of being why should we define them with no redemption? Our moral rules our emotions. Too bad that people define others by there sexual preferences, after all we are all humans and nothing of man kind is far from us, and some times what we call inhuman is the most frequent and sever behavior we posses.

[@jellyrcw12]

Well lying is one thing, it all depends on the frequency and severity of the deed. We all lie (to varying degrees) but not all of us are rapists, murderers, or other atrocious things. So yeah somethings you become just for committing it once. Some labels simply define what someone or something is. What we think of those things are the actual stereotypes. Being an American doesn't automatically mean must be fat or stupid.

[@juanky525]

Oh yeah. I don't know what happened for 7 hours but when i read the report my blood alcohol was a .2. over the limit but not enough to black out. I see them and I cant stand those people. I rather mind my business but they keep following me and reporting me because of how I look. I would like some help.

[@Nodrog666]

Amazing.

[@justinlui]

I was disgusted when I realized this guy isn't the Chilean footballer who played with Man City during the latter half of the season

[@kght222]

ben stein isn't an actor, he has done jobs acting, and quite a few at that, but he is a but the things he has done that have had the most influence have been when he was a speechwriter for both nixon and reagan, and as a lawyer/political commentator. he is no more an actor than john stewart is, and as sterwart would point out about himself, they are both terrible actors.

[@riddler251]

Why is this even close to being worthwhile research...

[@robobrain10000]

Can anyone link me to the documentary with Dawkins he was talking about?

[@kght222]

fair enough. just annoyed me, and was the most likely thing that he might concede. i'm not likely to have any impact on his other views.

[@pedrogregorio]

I concur.

[@Entropiff]

This must have taken an eternity to compile.

[@tinolino58]

...you are polarized..

[@NikolayNenov]

I found the speech entertaining, but you shouldn't take it too seriously. I mean, he presents a correlation of around 0.2 as a major finding ( 9:00 ). The truth is you can find such weak correlations between almost anything.

[@Suertsje]

Is it still blue to you? It's normal for me, maybe there's something wrong with your computer...?

[@Crazee108]

When you say "this" what are you referring to?

[@robrectec]

Why the FUCK did I watch this while eating?

[@Pushtrak]

The expression is actually "intents and purposes".

[@liquidminds]

I'm disgusted by the conservatives disgust. What does that make me?

[@princeofexcess]

thats iinsane. So if you have a spouse which reminds you to keep clean you become more conservative. Im in trouble.

[@kght222]

oh and if you were starving, and planned to eat me, if ya caught me by surprise it would be fair game, couldn't even really call it murder, manslaughter at most. if you didn't catch me by surprise i'd of course fight back. but we are speaking here of two creatures of the same species. an animal killing another of the same species is uncommon (though not rare) and it pretty much never has anything to do with sustenance, and more often than not unintentional. just a result of a clash.

[@Syeal7]

It's actually him going "Mhm..." with his ailin voice. But kinda sound like it :)

[@pinguOnJutub]

it is more like an issue (bug) with adobe's flash player on linux, that they really ignore, not so much nvidia or linux.

[@CaffeinatedSpencer]

David Pizarro is a hottie!

[@costaelia]

fascinating

[@woodgrain816]

This new KZbin playback is TERRIBLE and I hate the fake ass full-screen feature

[@holdmybeer]

I didn't look, I'm eating.

[@Neceros]

Not sure what Robin Williams has to do with it, but... no. No I haven't. I'll be honest, though, that it's the medical industry making too much money. Proprietary, expensive, unnecessary medical equipment that could be replaced with today's technology.

[@Guwab]

6:20 Tucker Carlson face.

[@Gumikrukon]

12:00 Was that a fart, or am I just primed to search for anything which might disgust me? :D :D

[@yeezythabest]

One year later and nobody replied... yes it's a fart

[@peterknutsen3070]

Łukasz Wybrańczyk It did sound like a very brief fart to me.

[@schifahrer123]

It’s obviously a verbal “hm”.

[@luxuriouswishes]

hahah I heard it too

[@MoerreNoseshine]

I guess those who clicked on the "Dislike" button where thoroughly disgusted by this wonderful presentation :)

[@amt253]

Scientists study overall trends, not all-caps anecdotes.

[@lsipahelut]

So thought is informed by emotion. Interesting.

[@22f94]

Then implemented by an action

[@kght222]

personally i consider fish meat, but i get your point.

[@TheLivirus]

Yeah sure, DNA in individual cells can be damaged (mutated) during your life time (eg. cancer), but let's keep this in context. Unless the cell is a spermatogonium it won't transfer to the offspring, and unless this mutation is not biased in towards a more advanced brain, it does not cause genetic drift (apart from natural selection). While the prior is unlikely but possible, the latter is against everything I know about evolution. Mutations are not biased to favour certain traits.

[@1schwererziehbar1]

so mitt romney should tell his supporters to fart in the voting booth.

[@Jerome...]

Eating while watching this talk, bad idea...

[@martinez8290]

Israel*, sorry. I remember that when Ron Paul said that US shouldn't get so involved in foreign countries affairs (he was talking in general, no about any specific states), he was openly attacked by the other candidates as "an enemy of the Israel". So, it's not good to remain neutral, you have to openly support everything that Israel does, otherwise the mainstream media may portray you as a maniac who is a great danger to the society. ;)

[@justgivemethetruth]

baloney ... it is a short step from disease to looking at anything else as something to be disgusted about. mothers have to deal with diapers so transferring disgust to women is another example. i had this think called a pygogenic granuloma on my finger once, it was gross like the picture but much smaller and is gone now. we need to have a attitude like kids who show each other their cuts. there is nothing wrong with being sick or poop ... it is a critical part of the ecosystem

[@justgivemethetruth]

these kinds of studies are really skewed. you would need to find a reason to eat worms. i probably would not eat anything in a situation like that, unless i was compensated in some way ... then comparing the compensation between people still would not mean much because you do not really know how much they need the money. maybe i am really rich and asking me to eat worms for $10 is not really an incentive. I am dubious about this kind of study because they don't know what it means really

[@StewartStewart]

Wait, what?

[@frunchzz]

Interesting shit right there.