Stephen Dubner

Considering it is an ancient force and that we're living in a modern world, should we learn to dial down the disgust in some cases? And are there other cases where we might want to turn up the disgust?

Considering it is an ancient force and that we're living in a modern world, should we learn to dial down the disgust in some cases? And are there other cases where we might want to turn up the disgust?

We have been hearing that disgust can be a powerful deterrent to steer people away from negative behaviors or substances. But can it also push them toward positive ones? So, yeah, it is a double-edged sword. That's Val Curtis, the London disgustologist we heard from earlier.

We have been hearing that disgust can be a powerful deterrent to steer people away from negative behaviors or substances. But can it also push them toward positive ones? So, yeah, it is a double-edged sword. That's Val Curtis, the London disgustologist we heard from earlier.

We have been hearing that disgust can be a powerful deterrent to steer people away from negative behaviors or substances. But can it also push them toward positive ones? So, yeah, it is a double-edged sword. That's Val Curtis, the London disgustologist we heard from earlier.

As the COVID pandemic has reminded us, hand hygiene is an excellent weapon against infectious disease.

As the COVID pandemic has reminded us, hand hygiene is an excellent weapon against infectious disease.

As the COVID pandemic has reminded us, hand hygiene is an excellent weapon against infectious disease.

But let's be honest, the benefits of hand hygiene have been known for a long time now. Some people just aren't very diligent. So Curtis got to wondering if she could apply what she had been learning about disgust.

But let's be honest, the benefits of hand hygiene have been known for a long time now. Some people just aren't very diligent. So Curtis got to wondering if she could apply what she had been learning about disgust.

But let's be honest, the benefits of hand hygiene have been known for a long time now. Some people just aren't very diligent. So Curtis got to wondering if she could apply what she had been learning about disgust.

Okay, so Powerful I'm Buying, was it effective? Did it change behavior?

Okay, so Powerful I'm Buying, was it effective? Did it change behavior?

Okay, so Powerful I'm Buying, was it effective? Did it change behavior?

So that's a case where dialing up the disgust was fruitful. Another example, those horribly graphic anti-cigarette ads you may have seen with rotten teeth and blackened lungs. But let's now consider the flip side. Rather than exploiting disgust in order to promote a certain behavior change, are there other behavior changes that are best promoted by reducing disgust?

So that's a case where dialing up the disgust was fruitful. Another example, those horribly graphic anti-cigarette ads you may have seen with rotten teeth and blackened lungs. But let's now consider the flip side. Rather than exploiting disgust in order to promote a certain behavior change, are there other behavior changes that are best promoted by reducing disgust?

So that's a case where dialing up the disgust was fruitful. Another example, those horribly graphic anti-cigarette ads you may have seen with rotten teeth and blackened lungs. But let's now consider the flip side. Rather than exploiting disgust in order to promote a certain behavior change, are there other behavior changes that are best promoted by reducing disgust?

So that's a case where there could be large environmental and economic gains from ratcheting down the disgust, maybe even geopolitical gains, considering that water scarcity is a source of great friction in many places. There is another disgust-related mission that Paul Rosen is even more enthusiastic about, getting people to eat more insects.

So that's a case where there could be large environmental and economic gains from ratcheting down the disgust, maybe even geopolitical gains, considering that water scarcity is a source of great friction in many places. There is another disgust-related mission that Paul Rosen is even more enthusiastic about, getting people to eat more insects.

So that's a case where there could be large environmental and economic gains from ratcheting down the disgust, maybe even geopolitical gains, considering that water scarcity is a source of great friction in many places. There is another disgust-related mission that Paul Rosen is even more enthusiastic about, getting people to eat more insects.