TY - JOUR

T1 - Against comfort

T2 - Political implications of evading discomfort

AU - Munch-Jurisic, Ditte Marie

PY - 2020/5/1

Y1 - 2020/5/1

N2 - We typically think of emotional states as highly individualized, personal, and subjective. But visceral gut-feelings like discomfort can be better understood as collective, public, and political when they are a reflection of implicit biases that an individual has internalized. Most of us evade discomfort in favor of comfort, often unconsciously. This inclination, innocent in most cases, also has social and political consequences. Research has established that it is easier to interact with people who resemble us and that such in-group favoritism contributes to subtle forms of discrimination. If we want a more equal and unbiased society, we have a duty to expose ourselves to more discomfort. Living up to this duty requires an enhanced emotional vocabulary that captures the political dimensions of physiological affect. I argue that a better understanding of what I call “interaction discomfort” can mitigate subtle forms of discrimination (142 words).

AB - We typically think of emotional states as highly individualized, personal, and subjective. But visceral gut-feelings like discomfort can be better understood as collective, public, and political when they are a reflection of implicit biases that an individual has internalized. Most of us evade discomfort in favor of comfort, often unconsciously. This inclination, innocent in most cases, also has social and political consequences. Research has established that it is easier to interact with people who resemble us and that such in-group favoritism contributes to subtle forms of discrimination. If we want a more equal and unbiased society, we have a duty to expose ourselves to more discomfort. Living up to this duty requires an enhanced emotional vocabulary that captures the political dimensions of physiological affect. I argue that a better understanding of what I call “interaction discomfort” can mitigate subtle forms of discrimination (142 words).

UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1332/204378920x15844659544839

U2 - 10.1332/204378920x15844659544839

DO - 10.1332/204378920x15844659544839

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2020

SP - 277

EP - 297

JO - Global Discourse: An interdisciplinary journal of current affairs

JF - Global Discourse: An interdisciplinary journal of current affairs

SN - 2043-7897

IS - 2-3

ER -