Grossed Out By Other's Farts But Not Your Own? This Is The Reason

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

Try to wrap your mind (not your nostrils) around this little factoid: every year people produce around 70 billion farts. Yes, BILLION. That means nearly 10% of those farts are yours. But, what gives? Why do we like our own brand, so to speakâ€“or at least don't get wildly grossed out by it?Â

Scientists have confirmed in blind smell tests, that we do in fact find our own scent much more appealing than others, and it's as simple as the fact that we recognize it as having come from us. It's original.

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The smell of what comes out of you, depends on what you've been eating. Broccoli? Cabbage? Meats? Cheeses? They all have their own special potency.

Essentially, you don't want to know what someone else has eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner that day, especially not from a flatulent announcement. However, you already know what you ate, and you recognize the smell of the bacteria within your body (yeah, you do, you just don't realize it), so that's why you don't mind it.Â

If it's coming up into your nose from you, you honestly don't and won't mind it...

It's like if you're familiar with a song or picture already, you'll find it more appealing, because you understand it's makeup. That's the gist of what's going on here.

But, why do we dislike the scent of other's farts? That's the real question. Well, it's evolutionary. It's our brain's attempt to prevent harm being done to us.

The brain recognizes the scent of bacteria and is repulsed by it. A bacteria, that it doesn't recognize as its own mind you. The name of the game with farts comes down to bacteria, whether your own or other's.

You see, a fart is expelled as gas and fecal matter (poop particles). What comes along with it is what could be dangerous. A pathogen located in a fart can cause any of these diseases:

Although, thanks to the invention of underwear, this is less of a problem these days, but still something to keep in mind. Farts are dangerous in their own right.

But, all of that said, farts aren't simply a "brand-loyal" only relationship. Your disgust level when it comes to farts comes from a variety of factors, including: age, gender and culture, among other things.

So you don't have to act like you don't like somebody else's brand just because that's what society has made the norm. You can totally take a whiff of someone else's fart and enjoy it.Â

But, this is only the beginning. There's so much more that goes into this "our fart vs. their fart" debate, including why parents can stomach their offspring's poop. Watch the full commentary on the subject here:

Farts are here to stay, and it's up to you what you can and cannot stand to sniff. One thing is for certain though: a silent but deadly rip will always surprise a crowded room.