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A new study showed a link between strong right-wing views and fear of disease and increased concern about hygiene.
The study showed that people who are more offended by bad odors are more likely to support authoritarian leaders, such as Donald Trump.
In the past, disgust at bad odors was important for survival. The scientists suggested that the disgust at unfamiliar odors may be linked to a desire to keep apart from "culturally unfamiliar" groups.
[...] In the new study, 160 people were rated on their aversion to bodily odours on a scale to one five and their responses compared to their political views. It found that each point higher on the disgust scale was associated with feeling 7.5 points more positive towards authoritarian leaders.
[...] It showed that people who were more disgusted by smells were also more likely to vote for Donald Trump than those who were less sensitive.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 01 2018, @05:48PM (1 child)
Humans have lots of defects that evolution selects against, but that selection often isn't instantaneous. (that would be a miscarriage) Some defects are only mildly detrimental. It takes time to eliminate them from the gene pool.
Meanwhile, we keep getting new defects randomly. Complex features are easy to break. One little thing goes wrong, and the feature is broken.
For example, consider the fear of spiders. Even if you lack this, you probably won't get killed by spiders before you reproduce. Your chance of death is increased, but not by very much.
One may also be broken by other things in the environment, such as BPA and toxoplasmosis and lead. Evolution can't reliably overcome everything bad.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 02 2018, @05:44AM
Unless you live in Australia.