Do you ever get ‘the ick’?
The ick is that feeling of disgust that washes over you when someone – often a romantic partner – does something that’s rationally quite trivial.
They might wear daggy clothing or mispronounce a word and suddenly you go off them.
It’s not just dating, of course.
The ick shows up in the workplace, too.
It’s that sudden loss of faith in an idea or a colleague.
It’s when someone misuses a buzzword in a meeting and you suddenly think they're an idiot.
It’s when a presentation’s design is so ugly that it undermines its message.
While the ick is instinctive, it's not always fair or helpful.
It can lead us to favour decisions that feel right emotionally, rather than rationally.
Being aware of the ick doesn’t mean ignoring your instincts, but it can help to ask yourself: Am I reacting to what matters, or just to the ick?
P.S. Researchers studying the ick in dating found 42% of people stopped dating someone after getting the ick. A full 26% ended the relationship immediately (Collisson, Saunders & Yin, 2025)
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