The negative emotions that are triggered by seeing others upset are called "misokinesis." It turns out that it is a fairly common psychological phenomenon.

According to a first-of-its-kind research published in "Scientific Reports" in 2021, as many as one in three people reportedly experience misokinesia.

It's defined as a strong negative affective or emotional response to the sight of someone else’s small and repetitive movements, such as seeing someone mindlessly fidgeting with a hand or foot. This can inspire emotional disgust, anger, frustration.

In the study, researchers interviewed 4,100 people about their response to visual cues. One-third of people attested to feeling stressed out by misokinetic behavior in daily life. “These results support the conclusion that misokinesia sensitivity is not a phenomenon restricted to clinical populations, but is rather a basic and heretofore under-recognized social challenge shared by many in the wider, general population,” they noted.

The impact of misokinesia is not limited to feeling stress. “They are negatively impacted emotionally and experience reactions such as anger, anxiety, or frustration as well as reduced enjoyment in social situations, work, and learning environments,” psychologist Todd Handy, one of the researchers who participated in the study, said in a press release. He added that some people may even pursue fewer social activities because of this.

The reason for the disturbance is unknown.

More Info: www.nature.com