The topic in which I am going to focus on for this blog entry is disgust. This dialog is a Ted Talk regarding how feelings of disgust plays a part in politics. This quote from the transcript of that talk: “The fact that emotions influence our judgment should come as no surprise. I mean, that’s part of how emotions work. They not only motivate you to behave in certain ways, but they change the way you think. In the case of disgust, what is a little bit more surprising is the scope of this influence. It makes perfect sense, and it’s a very good emotion for us to have, that disgust would make me change the way that I perceive the physical world whenever contamination is possible. It makes less sense that an emotion that was built to prevent me from ingesting poison should predict who I’m going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election.” On page 68 of our textbook, there are four major influences on voting behavior. This is an example of one of them; selective exposure. We are drawn to information that supports our views. This TED talk really made me think about how most candidates in modern times have been chosen by more and more superficial aspects, such as appearance. Doesn’t Sarah Palin come to mind? Superficiality has surpassed substance as a way of how voters decide on which candidate to choose. If a candidate dredges up an intense dislike, then they will not have voter approval. Think again of Sarah Palin’s lack of intelligence portrayed on Saturday Night Live or on the late night talk shows. Disgust is an ugly word that brings about feelings of discomfort and dislike. What influences a voter’s behavior? Shouldn’t it be beliefs, attitudes and values; not what lip stick a candidate wears.
~Debbie
