Disgust is a strong feeling of revulsion or disapproval, often triggered by something offensive or unpleasant. It's one of the basic emotions in Robert Plutchik’s theory and is associated with rejection and contamination avoidance. Disgust can feel like a physical repulsion, often manifesting as nausea, a wrinkled nose, or a desire to move away from the source. This emotion plays a crucial role in our evolutionary survival by helping us avoid potentially harmful substances or situations. On the Geneva Emotion Wheel, disgust is positioned with a negative valence and medium arousal, indicating its strong but not overwhelming nature.

Using Inner

Using Inner, you can track patterns in when and why disgust arises. Pay attention to physical sensations like nausea or a wrinkled nose, and note the context. Journaling about these moments can help you understand triggers and develop healthier responses, such as deep breathing or mindfulness exercises.

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Common Triggers

→Offensive smells or tastes
→Witnessing cruelty or abuse
→Contaminated objects or environments
→Moral violations or social taboos
→Graphic injuries or violence in media
→Inharmonious sounds (for musically sensitive individuals)

Physical Sensations

•Nausea
•Wrinkled nose
•Raised eyebrows
•Averted gaze
•Stomach discomfort
•Feeling of revulsion

Working with This Emotion

Recognize

Disgust can be recognized by physical sensations like nausea, a wrinkled nose, and a feeling of revulsion. Facial expressions include a curled upper lip, raised eyebrows, and averted gaze. Behaviorally, it often leads to avoidance or rejection of the source.

Understand

Common causes of disgust include offensive smells, tastes, or sights, witnessing cruelty or abuse, and encountering contaminated objects. It can also be triggered by moral violations or social taboos.

Label

To label disgust precisely, focus on the specific feeling of revulsion or strong disapproval. Distinguish it from anger, which is more about frustration and aggression, and from contempt, which involves a sense of superiority.

Express

Healthy ways to express disgust include communicating your feelings clearly without judgment, setting boundaries, and taking steps to remove yourself from the source if possible. It’s important to avoid projecting disgust onto others in a harmful way.

Regulate

Strategies to regulate disgust include deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and cognitive reframing. Practicing gratitude for positive aspects of your environment can also help shift your focus away from negative triggers.

Practical Examples