• I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      It’s a set of qualities (small, eyes too big for head, head too big for body, or an approximation of such in non animal objects) that evokes an emotional response (affectionate, protective, nurturing) which is an evolutionary development that prevents us from eating our succulent babies.

      • jaybone@lemmy.zip
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        24 hours ago

        Sometimes people will describe a setting, like a restaurant or part of town, or particular house, as “cute.” No anthropromorphics involved.

    • dohpaz42@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Cute is a stimulus that causes a release of dopamine, which affects our emotions. It’s not uncommon for someone to simplify that by saying cute = emotion.

    • Squorlple@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      That’s correct. I brought up the beaker scenario since the characterization of the inanimate object was adjacent to anthropomorphizing and it was an example in which I was the anomaly of the crowd.