Ever cringed at your date saying “expresso”, toe shoes, or (deep breath) loud chewing? Relax—it’s not entirely their fault. The cause of frequent “icks” might just be you, according to a new study from Azusa Pacific University. Narcissists, perfectionists, and disgust sensitives are significantly more likely to get the ick.
While women tend to cringe at misogynistic comments and speech quirks (I’m looking at you, vocal fry), men tend to cringe at vanity and overly trendy stuff. In evolution, ick used to warn us about bad mating choices, but today it’s about something more mundane: your standards. Keep them reasonable, or you’ll end up dating a list of deal-breakers instead of actual people.
