I Can't Smell Away!
After reading Carolyn Korsmeyer’s Savoring Disgust , I had a different understanding of why people are attracted to things that they should find repulsive. In her book, Carolyn talks about the “paradoxical magnetism” of disgusting objects. This is the idea that an aversion to something can inspire a person to linger on the thought of it longer or be unable to look away from it. Korsmeyer analyzes this phenomena in great detail in her book, however the element of her take on disgust which I find most interesting has to do with odor . In the world of perfumes and cologne, it is widely known that some of the grossest smells are the most attractive. Korsmeyer seeks an understanding of why humans have this behavior, and claims that the original reason we developed the disgust response to odors is connected to our evolutionary inclination to avoid non-edible foods. Many of the traits of disgust within food are actually signs of expiration and decay, so ...