Raise your hands if you have ever wanted to gobble up a baby (not literally) because it was so cute or wanted to squeeze an adorable puppy! Fret not, this desire to squish, nibble or bite something you find lovable and cute is not that uncommon. So, in case you wanted to take a bite off your newborn nephew, be rest assured you have not gone cuckoo. Infact, this desire to nibble on puppies and newborns (or anything you love) actually has a name-- cute aggression.
What is cute aggression
If you have ever bitten your partner (or friend) out of the blue, you might have a case of cute aggression. Cute aggression can also be considered a part of our “social biting” which we may have learnt from our ancestors. According to a research conducted psychological scientists of Yale University, the desire to pseudo-bite or squeeze anything we find excruciatingly cute is actually a neurochemical reaction.
Why do we experience cute aggression
As per the researchers, it is basically our brain’s way of preventing us from getting too overwhelmed and distracted. It helps in regulating positive emotions that one experiences after seeing an adorable puppy or baby so that it does not come in way of caretaking.
To put it simply, this cute aggression towards tiny, helpless beings with wide eyes and adorable features actually helps us to snap out of the trance and take care of the little one. The author of the Yale study Oriana Aragón calls it a tool to control dimorphous expression.
It is a form of regulating the emotion when it gets too overwhelming to handle. When you respond with the opposite of what you are feeling (in this case wanting to chomp the baby with chubby cheeks or smooshing the face of your puppy) you regain your balance over the emotions.
The bottom line
So the next time you feel like pinching your friend’s cheeks or nibbling on your partner’s arms, be rest assured that you are not some crazy bloodlust creature, you are just displaying your affection. It just happens to be a little twisted and a way of ensuring that you do not get carried away with your intense emotions of love.
