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What it means when someone gives you “ick,” according to psychology
🇦🇷 Argentina /Health & Science

What it means when someone gives you “ick,” according to psychology

From La Nación · (17m ago) Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The term "ick" describes a sudden feeling of disgust or loss of attraction towards someone due to a specific, often minor, action, transforming romantic interest overnight.
  • Psychological experts suggest "ick" can be triggered by superficial social performance failures rather than deep character flaws, with perfectionism and narcissism increasing its likelihood.
  • While women report experiencing "ick" more frequently, potentially due to greater sensitivity to relational risks, experts advise examining underlying insecurities or high expectations when the feeling arises.

In Argentina, La Nación's lifestyle and psychology sections are exploring the phenomenon of "ick," a term gaining traction among younger generations to describe a sudden, often inexplicable, loss of romantic or sexual attraction. This concept reflects a broader shift in how relationships are formed and experienced, moving away from traditional, clearly defined stages towards more fluid and ambiguous connections.

a sudden feeling of dislike or loss of attraction towards someone because they did something specific

— Cambridge DictionaryThe definition of 'ick' as provided by the Cambridge Dictionary.

The "ick" is characterized by its abruptness, often stemming from seemingly minor actions or "social performance failures" rather than significant character defects. Psychology professionals, including those cited by La Nación, note that this sudden aversion can be a turning point in attraction, occurring without apparent logical reason. This contrasts with older notions of attraction, which might have focused more on sustained compatibility or deeper understanding.

sudden feeling of rejection or extreme dislike for someone with whom one previously had romantic or sexual interest. It can be triggered by minimal gestures, phrases, or habits, but which generate a visceral discomfort.

— LN Bienestar professionalsA description of the 'ick' phenomenon from a psychological perspective.

Experts like psychologist Chivonna Childs suggest that "ick" often emerges in the early stages of a relationship and can be linked to superficial issues. The phenomenon is also associated with higher levels of narcissism and perfectionism, and studies indicate women tend to be more familiar with and experience it more frequently. This could be interpreted, as psychologist Victoria Almiroty notes, as a defense mechanism masking underlying insecurities. La Nación encourages readers to honestly assess whether an "ick" stems from a genuine values clash or simply from unmet expectations or personal anxieties, offering a nuanced, locally relevant perspective on a modern dating trend.

What often makes the ick problematic is that they tend to be superficial issues rather than real, concerning problems.

— Chivonna ChildsPsychologist Chivonna Childs' view on the nature of 'ick' triggers.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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