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Why do you want to squeeze cute things? - Joshua Paul Dale

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TEDEd Animation

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Watching a kitten fumbling around, it might feel as if you’ve never encountered anything so devastatingly adorable in your mortal life. You may want to pet its soft fur and kiss its tiny head. But you may also feel the conflicting urge… to squeeze or smush the kitten, maybe even stuff it in your mouth. What is this peculiar phenomenon? Joshua Paul Dale explores the urge known as cute aggression.

Cute aggression serves to regulate intense feelings of cuteness.

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Joshua Paul Dale
  • Director Oksana Kurmaz
  • Narrator Jack Cutmore-Scott
  • Storyboard Artist Oksana Kurmaz
  • Animator Oksana Kurmaz
  • Compositor Denys Chernysh
  • Art Director Oksana Kurmaz
  • Composer Jan Willem De With
  • Sound Designer Jan Willem De With
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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