Ever felt a sudden wave of cringe toward someone you were into – all because they wore questionable shoes or chewed a bit too loudly? Congratulations, you’ve caught “the ick”.

That instant flip from attraction to total repulsion is everywhere on TikTok and Instagram, with singletons and couples bonding over the specific, often ridiculous triggers that turned them off. But beyond the viral memes and funny rants, why does our brain sometimes pull the handbrake so fast on an attraction?

There are a number of potential explanations. Some psychologists have argued that the ick might be linked to the phenomenon of sexual disgust. Sexual disgust is hypothesised as an emotion that has been shaped by the selection pressure of evolution, which is the idea that women are hardwired to choose males that they can successfully mate with, to ensure the survival of their babies.

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