Walter Benjamin's assertion, "All disgust is originally disgust at touching", invites a deep exploration of the sensory and mental origins of repulsion. At the heart of this quote is the concept that the sense of touch possesses an essential, perhaps primal, influence on the human experience of disgust.
Touch is one of the most personal and immediate of all the senses. Unlike sight or hearing, which can capture info from a distance, touch needs proximity, typically direct and intimate contact with the item of our feeling. This intimacy suggests why touch is so closely related to feelings of aversion; it acts as a boundary system, a guardrail that assists preserve personal comfort and security by encouraging us to prevent what may be harmful or unpleasant.
Disgust, in numerous methods, functions as a protective impulse, cautioning us against possible risks such as rotting food, illness, or unsafe animals. It's a biological response that ends up being mental, forming how we engage with the world around us. When Benjamin suggests that all disgust is at first disgust at touching, he is highlighting how this sense directly informs our psychological actions. It reflects an intrinsic inclination to safeguard the self from breach or contamination, both actually and metaphorically.
Furthermore, Benjamin's quote can be extended beyond the actual sense of touch to include metaphorical "contact" with ideas, individuals, or situations that challenge our comfort zones. Cultural or ethical hostilities can also be seen as an extension of this instinctual reluctance to "touch" or engage with the unknown or the controversial.
In social contexts, distancing oneself from ideologies or practices perceived as repugnant can be seen as a form of psychological avoidance similar to physical disgust-- developing a barrier to avoid cognitive and psychological contagion. Hence, Benjamin's insight prompts us to consider how fundamental touch is to our broader sensory experiences, forming impulses and actions that extend well beyond the literal skin barrier into complex social and cultural realms.
