Article Response to Disgust as an adaptive system for disease avoidance behavior

After reading the article by Curtis and colleagues Disgust as an adaptive system for

disease avoidance behavior I found it interesting that disgust is a dynamic adaptive system

that drives universal pathogen avoidance behavior in people. Looking at the evolutionary

aspects of disgust, Charles Darwin identified it as a universal element in human behavior.

Disgust and our perception of what is repugnant are not restricted to the raw sensory knowledge

of the central disgust. Subsequently, it is also understood that the value of disgust is a

transferable quality conveying its characteristics through contact or close accessibility to other

things. Additionally, we conclude that if anything seems to have similarities with what we have

historically described as disgusting, then it also holds the perception of disgust. 

From the article I identified that basic hygiene and cultural guidelines exist, subtly,

among our humans and animal nature and hence our understanding of purity and perversion.

Other than the   fundamental disgust elicitors such as urine, body fluids, puking, and dead

remains, and the invasive nature of our animal corporeality, disdain is often caused by objects

that seem to contaminate us behaviorally. Apart from, for the time being, the concern of ethical

disgust, it might be perceived that most of the fundamental triggers of disgust (mentioned above)

are involved in the risk of transmitting infectious pathogens and as such, coupled with or

without the risk provide substantial variations in disgust sensitivity. According to the article,

the correlation that exists between disgust indicators and the outcome of an infection show

cultural and historical consistency.    

I became aware that it is impossible to conclude on the degree of our preservation with

regards to our sensitivity and response to disgust. However, little or no doubt exist identifying

that human behavior in pathogen avoidance. There is no doubt, as shown above, that it has been
a valuable evolution to ensure our health through preventing the ingestion of highly hazardous

things. But in the ethical realm, it is quite not obvious whether we prefer certain instincts to be

influenced by disgust. Nevertheless, the authors argue that with regards to evolutionary contexts,

disgust systems and their influencing factors as well as the behaviors associated across different

cultural and universal aspects are explainable. Through natural selection as evidenced from

Darwinian theoretical approaches, human survival factorized the tendencies in behavior and

elicitors of disgust universally.

According to the article, disgust sensitivity among individuals is characterized by their

different contexts and concepts on the issue. Apart from the cultural phenomenon effects on the

disgust sensitivity, the system is also affected through trait-based aspects. Numerous attributes

are connected with differences in disgust responsiveness, such as personality traits, sexuality and

gene encoding response. Therefore, as people strive to avoid pathogens that seemingly hold

effects to their health, disgust through behavioral traits can be identified. Therefore, from the

article, my insight on this aspect evolved through my understanding that disgust is a human trait

aiming at protecting us from absorbing things that affect our health. Further, it cautions us on the

importance of hygiene and the environment that we inhabit.