Why is there tickle?

Question

I'm just wondering what the point of it is. Or is it just a side effect of having sensitive areas?

Answer 1

i guess its just a nerve or some dead end thing that would be sent to the brain to annoy it where is send out stress signals and they make you happy.

Answer 2

I would guess that it exists for an important evolutionary reason... to protect vital areas of your body by making them sensitive to the lightest contact.

I have read no studies saying that this is the case but if you think about it ..... everywhere that is commonly "ticklish" is vital to your survival or very important.... or at least it was prior to modern medicine.

Feet bottoms are sometimes ticklish.... if you were hunting and gathering for a living damaging your feet could very well prove fatal.

You armpits.... completely unprotected and very soft skin.... damage in that area can easily damage the function of your arms and wounds in that area could easily damage the bracheal artery which equals death.

Ribs... well any injury to the chest or ribs is potentially fatal... even a single broken rib can lead to lung deflation... and subsequent death (again prior to modern medicine).

Your nose...easily tickled... and an intact sense of smell is also important to survival... for early man certainly and still important today.... how could you tell if that mammoth meat went bad if you cannot smell??

So yeah.... I think it is likely a built-in response to touching in sensitive areas... and typically if something is tickling me, my first reaction is not to laugh but to pull back and scratch or rub the area "tickled".

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

it is probably not just a nerve or a sensitive area. After all, you cannot tickle yourself