States of disgust

Disgust can be felt mildly, extremely, or somewhere in between. The least intense state of disgust is dislike that can progressively, escalate to aversion, distaste, repugnance, revulsion, abhorrence, loathing. The following figure shows a graph of each state of disgust and its intensity:

We will now see what they represent:

• Dislike: This involves a preference against something. The possible actions resulting from this state are withdraw, avoid, and dehumanize. The first two actions are ambiguous. The last one is destructive.
• Aversion: This involves an impulse to avoid something disgusting. The possible actions resulting from this state are avoid, withdraw, and dehumanize. Avoid is constructive. Withdraw is ambiguous. Dehumanize is destructive.
• Distaste: This involves a reaction to a bad taste, smell, thing, or idea. It can be literal or metaphorical. The possible actions resulting from this state are avoid, vomit, and withdraw. Avoid and vomit are constructive. Withdraw is ambiguous.
• Repugnance: This involves a strong distaste for something, often a concept or idea. The possible actions resulting from this state are withdraw, avoid, and dehumanize. Withdraw and avoid are ambiguous. Dehumanize is destructive.
• Revulsion: This involves a mixture of disgust and loathing. The possible actions resulting from this state are avoid, vomit, withdraw, and dehumanize. Avoid and vomit are constructive. The last two are destructive.
• Abhorrence: This involves a mixture of intense disgust and hatred. The possible actions resulting from this state are avoid, withdraw, and dehumanize. Avoid is constructive. The last two are destructive.
• Loathing: This involves intense disgust focused on a person. Intense disgust focused on oneself is called self-loathing. The possible actions resulting from this state are withdraw, avoid, and dehumanize. All of them are destructive.