Disgust – how Donald Trump and Brexit campaigners win votes

Irrational feelings of disgust can cloud our moral judgment. It's time to get wise to politicians who provoke them to gain power

What do Donald Trump, "moist", and Pantone 448 C have in common? They all demonstrate the powerful sway that disgust has over us.

The word "disgust" is overused, and is not well understood. It is one of the most powerful biological responses we have. It shapes how we think, feel and behave far more than we realise. It permeates and perverts politics, exercises an insidious influence on our laws, and helps trigger tragedies. Disgust at two men kissing, combined with self-disgust at his own homosexual feelings, motivated a gunman in Orlando to kill 49 people. And Donald Trump's knack for triggering conservative America's revulsion has helped propel him to his present political success.