For example, something threatening might be purged from the mouth, stomach, or intestines. This is something all humans do.

Something undesirable to eat or drink won’t universally trigger a specific facial expression, sound, or feeling.

Further, if I wrinkle my nose in disgust it actually flairs my nostrils, seemingly making it easier to breathe and smell. I suspect this is the same for most humans, but I’m open to correction. It simply has no limiting effect on my ability to breathe or smell, though.

These are important distinctions, and distinctions which make Peterson’s claim less than factual from my point of view.

There’s a great conversation about this on the Making Sense podcast. It touches on this idea exactly, and why we really don’t understand what emotional elements of expression truly mean or where they come from. Things like disgust contain a cultural or environmental element which appear to lack attachment to solely genetic origins.

https://samharris.org/subscriber-rss/?uid=PNISESQukqqj4q8

I have to admit that if it would, covid would be way funnier. But, it does not. J