To ask about the science behind the satisfaction of disgusting things (sorry this is gross)

[blubberball]

Sorry, I don't really know how to put it. Why do we find it so satisfying? (Maybe not everyone) Those pimple popper videos, extreme cleaning videos and my favourite are the teeth cleaning videos I can't even find any more. They were close ups of dentists removing build up from teeth. Chunks of hard stuff removed and hoovered away. I even found it satisfying when my kids got nits (I wasn't happy that they got them, and I had the strong urge to deal with them urgently and immediately), to comb them out and remove all the little eggs. It feels like something so primal. Same if any animals had fleas.

Some things do go too far. I once accidentally clicked on a video of a person having an abscess lanced on their back. It looked like mashed potato coming out. I had to click off.

Sorry, this might be too gross even for me. But why do we find it so satisfying?

The phrase 'we find it so satisfying' is doing some heavy lifting here 😂

I think we’ve evolved find it enjoyable because we’re social and in the wild would probably enjoy bursting abscesses and cysts from fellow monkeys.

I do love a cyst removal.

No idea, but have you watched drain unblocking and cleaning horses hooves videos? Also weirdly satisfying!

Yes I think you need the sporner community to have agreement that we find it satisfying! I don’t want imagine some of it is basic instinct to clean and purge poisonous or harmful substances, in a primal way like you say.

Hard agree! Op i found satisfaction in removing worms from my child’s anus and then squashing them!

agree it must be part of being a social species….

though that doesn’t explain my satisfaction at cleaning the bath plug hole of hair!

OMG! Are you me??

I posted a comment recently on a hoof one and a friend replied with 'eeh fancy meeting uou on here!'

Also fond of a pimple/cyst or too (but not teeth or feet, thats too far for me!)

Love ear wax removal and spot squeezing films (and doing it in real life).

Unblocking the bath plug hole is a highlight of my year, I let it get really blocked with hair and then pull it all out with a hook I made from a coat hanger, it's glorious.

I’ve found my people! I had stitches in my leg and a cast after breaking it. When they removed it that scab was amazing to pick. I have a photo somewhere if anyone wants to see it 🤣🤣🤣

Oh, yes pleeeease!

I take it you lovely folk know about this delicious Mumsnet topic?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/sporner_corner

Oh no I didn’t know about that, will go and check it out right now! 🫶🏻

Because they need to be done. We have evolved to get satisfaction to encourage us to do the nasty bits to keep us healthy.

Photo of ankle after picking 🤣