I can recall many times I’ve offered something to a friend saying, “Smell this, it’s disgusting!” And more than once, the friend obliged. According to a National Geographic blog piece, the psychological motivation behind the appeal of stinky things is the same as the appeal of roller coasters, painfully spicy foods, and deep tissue massage. Likewise with reading sad novels or watching scary movies (though this last one is not something I personally enjoy). So what’s the common thread?

“Benign masochism,” a term coined by Paul Rozin, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, describes how humans enjoy negative sensations and emotions when they’re reassured that no harm will come to them. A “safe threat,” in other words.

The blog post is centered on our enjoyment of disgust, inspired by the massive audience at a recent blooming of a corpse flower at UC Berkeley’s Botanical Gardens. Valerie Curtis, PhD, a research director at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Psychology Today’s “Disgustologist“, is quoted as saying the phenomenon is not dissimilar from kids playing war games in which they can “practice” their reactions to unpleasant situations.

“The ‘play’ motive leads humans (and most mammals, especially young ones) to try out experiences in relative safety, so as to be better equipped to deal with them when they meet them for real,” she says. “We are motivated to find out what a corpse smells like and see how we’d react if we met one.” Gross!

Previously: Looks of fear and disgust help us see threats, study shows
Photo by Dave Pape