Why do you want to squeeze cute things? - Joshua Paul Dale
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The hypothesis that we evolved to feel cuteness because human babies need a long period of nurturing and socialization may explain why the bar to perceiving it is set so low. The fact that we find many baby animals adorable as well as children, or that we can look at two dots and a curved line and see a cute smiley face, may indicate how valuable this response is terms of evolutionary survival. To delve more deeply into the role cuteness played in our evolutionary history and how it influences brain chemistry and behavior today, see this Discover Magazine article.
What can cuteness do for you? Studies suggest that exposure to cute things triggers the brain to prepare for affiliative, social behaviors like smiling, nurturing, and playing. Furthermore, some data shows that feeling cuteness can increase empathy, boost mental focus, improve motor skills, and relieve stress and boredom in many people. Are you one of them?

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