Multiamory: Rethinking Modern Relationships 577 - Should You Push Through the “Ick”?
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Apr 28, 2026 They unpack why the sudden feeling of repulsion shows up in early attraction and share personal dating moments that trigger it. Neuroscience and a 2025 study link disgust sensitivity, narcissism, and perfectionism to who gets the ick. They compare common triggers reported by different genders and debate which reactions signal real incompatibility. Practical strategies for noticing, tracking, and coping with the ick are offered.
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Friendship Turning Sexual Triggered A Sudden Ick
- Dedeker felt the ick when a longtime friend became a sexual partner and she couldn't reconcile intimacy with their prior friendship.
- She soldiered through one encounter but then slowly faded the relationship afterward.
Three Psychological Drivers Behind The Ick
- The ick links to disgust sensitivity, narcissism, and perfectionism as psychological drivers.
- Higher disgust sensitivity lowers aversion thresholds; narcissism spikes reactions to specific flaws; other-oriented perfectionism raises frequency across situations.
Most People Stop Dating After The Ick
- About two thirds of people who experience the ick stop dating either immediately or later.
- 26% ended things instantly, 42% stopped later, and 32% kept dating despite the ick.
