Why do women get the ick from men? Experts explain the psychology behind the feeling

In modern dating, the “ick” is primarily experienced by women and feared by men.The term has gone viral on social media in recent years. It describes a feeling of disgust toward the actions, appearances, and other characteristics of someone’s partner.Some examples of popular icks include people chewing with their mouths open, wearing flip-flops, or tripping over their own feet while walking.The list has narrowed to a more specific set of icks blasted on the internet, including aversions to how men chase after a ping-pong ball or even use a debit card instead of a credit card on a date.National Geographic claims that the “ick” feeling is related to a biological, primal instinct.In several primate species, including humans, adult females are “more sensitive to grossness than males,” according to a scientific dive by NatGeo.“For instance, female gray mouse lemurs and Japanese macaques are more likely than males to turn up their noses at contaminated food, while female western lowland gorillas and olive baboons tend to avoid fellow animals with skin infections,” the report noted.This cautiousness then leads to a lower incidence of infectious disease in females, according to scientists.Cecile Sarabian, a cognitive ecologist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France, told NatGeo that there’s a “protective power to the ‘yuck.’”She suggested that females’ pickiness about what they eat and who they expose themselves to “may be one of the reasons female primates live longer than males.”Elizabeth Anne Brown, a National Geographic contributing writer based in Denmark, commented on the findings.“Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males,” she told Fox News Digital.“But ‘yuck’ acts like an advanced guard for our immune system, limiting our exposure to things that could make us sick, like parasites and bacteria.”Disgust “plays an imp...