Cute Aggression

[xSilverPhinx]

When I was growing up I had a neighbour who thought our dog at the time was so cute she would pinch his drooping cheek hard. He wasn't too pleased at this obviously and eventually bit her, and she probably had that coming. It's a curious thing, why do we sometimes get that urge to squeeze or pinch something that we think overwhelms us with cuteness?

Apparently this phenomenon, called "cute aggression", seems to be either some compensatory mechanism in the brain or the outcome of cross-wiring. 

Live Science: 'I Wanna Eat You Up!' Why We Go Crazy for Cute

Vice: I Asked a Neuroscientist Why I Want to Crush Every Cute Animal I See

Abstract (Aragón's and Dryer's more recent paper)

[Recusant]

That's a rather strange phenomenon, and I can't say that I've ever heard of it, nor felt that impulse. However, now that I've read about it, I can think of examples its occurrence.

[Crow]

I had a quick look in the Awwww thread to see if there were any here. There aren't

[xSilverPhinx]

That's a rather strange phenomenon, and I can't say that I've ever heard of it, nor felt that impulse. However, now that I've read about it, I can think of examples its occurrence.

Yes it is strange, especially since intuitively cute things such as babies and baby animals should elicit protective feelings, which are contradicted by feelings of aggression, however mild. 

[xSilverPhinx]

I had a quick look in the Awwww thread to see if there were any here. There aren't

That's perfect. 

[Claireliontamer]

I can't say I've had it myself but I have seen kids who definitely exhibit those behaviours.....and yes look exactly like Agnes with the unicorn!

[xSilverPhinx]

Now I'm wondering, do children feel it more or do they just act on their impulses more often?

I know quite a few adults who exhibit this behaviour.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I felt it as a child.  My explanation is that the part of my brain that responded to cuteness and the aggressive part that naturally wanted to assert dominance over those who were weaker were linked to each other and had some cross-over.  Then they developed as I matured and were separated, and now there is no more cross-over. The cuteness part likes to hug babies and the dominance part reveals itself in professional ambition (generally within the rules). 

[Pasta Chick]