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Jay & Radhi: My #1 Ick About You… (I’ve Never Shared This!)

In this fun and unfiltered episode, Jay and Radhi dive into the world of “icks,” those oddly specific little turn-offs that make us cringe for reasons we can’t quite explain. From baby voices and socks with sandals to the blurry line between confidence and cockiness, they laugh their way through the most random dating deal-breakers and what they secretly reveal about us. Amid the jokes, they slip in a few truth bombs too, like how we sometimes use icks to avoid real vulnerability. It’s light, hilarious, and uncomfortably relatable, because honestly, we’ve all had an ick… and we’ve definitely been someone else’s. In this episode, you'll learn: How to Tell the Difference Between an Ick and a Red Flag How to Communicate Honestly About What Bothers You How to Recognize When You’re Using an Ick as an Excuse How to Appreciate Imperfections in the People You Love It’s easy to get caught up in small things that bother us, but true connection isn’t built on perfection, it’s built on patience, humor, and understanding. Everyone has quirks, and sometimes those quirks are what make relationships real. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:19 What is an Ick? 03:07 The Funniest Icks 05:21 How Seriously Should People Take Icks? 09:39 Can You Get Over an Ick? 12:55 Personal Hygiene is Important 14:26 Arrogance Versus Confidence 15:40 Childishness and Immaturity 17:25 Is It Just Poor Communication? 21:43 Top 5 Icks Men have About Women 23:38 The Guy with a List (@wyszkay) Episode Resources: https://www.radhidevlukia.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@radhidevlu https://www.instagram.com/radhidevlukia https://www.facebook.com/radhidevlukia1/ https://www.tiktok.com/@radhidevlukia https://www.instagram.com/jayshetty https://www.facebook.com/jayshetty/ https://x.com/jayshetty https://www.linkedin.com/in/shettyjay/ https://www.youtube.com/@JayShettyPodcast http://jayshetty.me

Radhi DevlukiahostJay Shettyhost
Nov 22, 202529mWatch on YouTube ↗

EVERY SPOKEN WORD

  1. 0:000:19

    Intro

    1. RD

      One of my biggest icks

    2. RD

      Is when they like wake up and they're confused

    3. JS

      If they play games on their phone

    4. RD

      When he posts on social media

    5. JS

      Grown men shouldn't wear earrings Don't message me saying, "When am I taking you?" I'm not.

    6. RD

      White men who call themselves progressive or gay for

    7. JS

      When they post on

  2. 0:193:07

    What is an Ick?

    1. JS

      social media forget their pronouns How seriously should people take icks?

    2. RD

      They should be seen as more of a funny thing, not something that actually puts them off their partner

    3. JS

      Do you ever get over a ick?

    4. RD

      The more you like someone, the more you'll find your- the icks cuter

    5. JS

      Everyone is gonna have something that gives you the ick

    6. RD

      I remember one of my icks was at the beginning when we were dating [record scratch]

    7. JS

      Go on

    8. RD

      Where you used to do that, "Oh my God"

    9. JS

      Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose with Jay Shetty, with my favorite person in the world, Radhika Devlukia. And we're diving into topics about things that we talk about, things that we hear about from friends and family, things that you could talk about on a long car journey

    10. RD

      [laughs]

    11. JS

      After a long day at work, or maybe while you're out at dinner and you wanna have a chat about what's going on. So today's topic is all about

    12. RD

      Icks

    13. JS

      Icks

    14. RD

      Good old icks

    15. JS

      I feel like the concept of icks didn't exist when we were dating

    16. RD

      No, maybe it w-

    17. JS

      Or maybe they existed, but they didn't have that language

    18. RD

      We didn't call them icks

    19. JS

      And if anyone's wondering, because you've been sleeping under a rock, what an ick is, the term ick refers to a sudden turn-off or something that instantly kills attraction

    20. RD

      Ooh, that's a harsh term

    21. JS

      These aren't always rational, and they can vary culturally and individually, but there are common patterns reported in dating conversations, social media, and psychological observations

    22. RD

      Wow, so official

    23. JS

      When did you first discover what icks were?

    24. RD

      I don't know when, but I feel like I've ... Now that it's got a name to it, I appreciate it, 'cause I've felt icks my whole life

    25. JS

      Really?

    26. RD

      Yeah

    27. JS

      What? Like, when you were dating back in the day?

    28. RD

      Yeah

    29. JS

      You never dated anyone apart from me

    30. RD

      What?

  3. 3:075:21

    The Funniest Icks

    1. RD

      in the car [laughs] .

    2. JS

      [laughs]

    3. RD

      I don't even know how that's an ick, but that was an ick

    4. JS

      Because? What was her reasoning?

    5. RD

      Don't remember

    6. JS

      She said that it doesn't feel masculine

    7. RD

      Masculine enough, yes

    8. JS

      [laughs]

    9. RD

      Someone else that I spoke to said that she finds it really icky when her husband cries

    10. JS

      [laughs] That's terrible

    11. RD

      [laughs] So not nice, but also just so funny that people put that on the ick list. Well, okay, it's obviously funny, but there's also a little bit of meanness and depths to it, that people get turned off so easily these days. And I think it's, it really, sometimes just by getting an ick, they won't go on a second date. I feel like, should we start off by reading some really funny icks out?

    12. JS

      Go on

    13. RD

      Okay. So, oh, when they run after a receipt that's blown away in the wind [laughs] . That's so true

    14. JS

      Who does that?

    15. RD

      When they hold a limp umbrella in a strong wind [laughs]

    16. JS

      [laughs]

    17. RD

      When they run with a backpack on and it bounces side to side

    18. JS

      [laughs]

    19. RD

      [laughs] That's a really good one. I agree. When they, when they try to get out of a beanbag chair and it takes a full 12 seconds

    20. JS

      [laughs]

    21. RD

      When they walk, when they call a waiter over, but they walk right past them. These are all very good ones

    22. JS

      Yeah

    23. RD

      There are some other really funny ones though too. What else did we, what else did we say in the car that was really funny, do you remember?

    24. JS

      I don't remember the car ones at all

    25. RD

      When they have allergies. That's so rude. When you're driving and they grab the bar. Yeah, when you are the driver, when the girl's the driver and the guy gets scared and holds, holds the side of the car. That's icky. When they get carsick [laughs]

    26. JS

      I, I get carsick. That's not an ick. It's a really-

    27. RD

      Oh

    28. JS

      ... sad thing to go through actually

    29. RD

      When they wear no-show socks. No

    30. JS

      Yeah. I agree with that one

  4. 5:219:39

    How Seriously Should People Take Icks?

    1. RD

      baby voice with your mum and your sister. Oh my God. Ugh. I cannot even hear it. Go on, do it, please.

    2. JS

      I'm not doing that. I don't do it with anyone else

    3. RD

      Please. You do know it, though.

    4. JS

      I don't. Only with my mom and my sister

    5. RD

      Come on. Mom and sister. Suddenly I w- was in a room with all three of them, and they're all doing this weird baby voice to each other. I was like, "In where am I, and what is happening?" Please just do it once.

    6. JS

      No, I don't do it anymore

    7. RD

      Come and show them too, so they think-

    8. JS

      I literally don't do it anymore because you c- you are-

    9. RD

      You actually don't do it that much

    10. JS

      I don't, I don't do it anymore

    11. RD

      But you know what? You should be who you want to be

    12. JS

      I don't do that anymore

    13. RD

      But just don't do that voice around me [laughs]

    14. JS

      [laughs] What, what, what were all my icks about you? But yeah, what are my icks about you?

    15. RD

      Don't know. In the beginning?

    16. JS

      Being late

    17. RD

      Yeah

    18. JS

      That is an ick. That is a massive ick for me when people are late.

    19. RD

      Really?

    20. JS

      Yeah, massive ick. You can't be late.

    21. RD

      I've been ick your whole life then, mate.

    22. JS

      [laughs] Basically.

    23. RD

      [laughs]

    24. JS

      What else?

    25. RD

      Skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are a b- skinny jeans, I was just checking if my microphone was running. Skinny jeans, before I said it. [laughs]

    26. JS

      [laughs]

    27. RD

      Skinny jeans, big ick.

    28. JS

      Now they are. At one point they were fashionable. That's what it is about icks, that there was a time when the ick could've been fashionable. Like I know one of our friends, her sister doesn't like men who wear jewelry.

    29. RD

      Oh.

    30. JS

      Like, that's her ick. So that's what I'm trying to understand is like how seriously should people take icks?

  5. 9:3912:55

    Can You Get Over an Ick?

    1. JS

      ... all the time right now.

    2. RD

      Drinks cow's milk in a glass, or drinks cow's milk full stop.

    3. JS

      [laughs]

    4. RD

      Ick.

    5. JS

      Using phrases like let that sink in too seriously. [laughs]

    6. RD

      Calls women females.

    7. JS

      [laughs]

    8. RD

      [laughs] What the hell? Is he a biology teacher? [laughs] Oh.

    9. JS

      My God. All right. Obsessing over a celebrity like they know them personally.

    10. RD

      Yeah.

    11. JS

      I, when I have friends that refer to celebrities by their first name-

    12. RD

      First name

    13. JS

      ... that they don't know, it's an ick. Uh, referring to their ex as crazy with no context.

    14. RD

      Mm.

    15. JS

      You, you okay with that?

    16. RD

      Yeah, I'm all right with that.

    17. JS

      Oh, gosh. So let's help people. Let's think about icks. What's our take?

    18. RD

      My take is that, um, you should give people-

    19. JS

      Oh, wait. This is a better question.

    20. RD

      Yeah.

    21. JS

      Do you ever get over a ick? Can you get over a ick?

    22. RD

      Yeah.

    23. JS

      Like, did you get over the ick of me talking in baby voice, or did I have to stop doing it?

    24. RD

      mixture of both.

    25. JS

      [laughs]

    26. RD

      I think the more you like someone, the less you'll find, like the l- the more you'll find y- the icks cuter. However, there are just some things that you're gonna ha- that the other person's gonna have to just stop doing if they've, the partner finds it icky more than three times.

    27. JS

      So how do you tell someone, "Hey, I have an ick about this, and that's the reason-

    28. RD

      I think I ex- explicitly told you

    29. JS

      ... I haven't been texting you. That's the reason I haven't been-

    30. RD

      Oh.

  6. 12:5514:26

    Personal Hygiene is Important

    1. JS

      [laughs] when they run. Like, that's ... [laughs] You don't have to look at the-

    2. RD

      Yeah, give them a different bag.

    3. JS

      Yeah.

    4. RD

      Tie in their backpack.

    5. JS

      Yeah. [laughs] Tie in their backpack. Like, you don't have to watch that every day. Like, that's not your life. You know what I mean? Like, I, I think, I think today people find icks to get out of something they want to get out of.

    6. RD

      Mm. Yeah.

    7. JS

      So it's like, it's like a-

    8. RD

      It's like, it's a easy reason

    9. JS

      ... yeah, it's an easy reason. It's a scapegoat. It's, uh, it's something you use to justify why you don't wanna be with someone.

    10. RD

      Right. Right.

    11. JS

      You just aren't attracted to them. You just aren't into them, and you don't wanna say that, so you end up coming up with this ick that justifies why you don't wanna be them.

    12. RD

      Yeah, I think so. I think an ick is a good w- easy way out.

    13. JS

      Yeah.

    14. RD

      For sure.

    15. JS

      Jared Freedo hosts the You Up? podcast, who's a mate of mine. He says that men ... Like, an ick would never stop a man from dating someone. If they like someone, they like someone, doesn't matter even if there's an ick. But from women it's actually a lot more serious. Do you agree?

    16. RD

      Mm, I think so.

    17. JS

      Why?

    18. RD

      But then I think ... I wonder if, okay, let's say a girl's got bad breath. Is that not gonna be an ick for a guy?

    19. JS

      No, of course it is.

    20. RD

      But it won't stop her from, him from dating her?

    21. JS

      I don't know. That's a question for Jared right there. I'm not sure. Like, I, I, I mean, for me, to me that's more than an ick. To me, that's just bad hygiene.

    22. RD

      [laughs]

    23. JS

      [laughs] Like, I'm like, that's like a basic-

    24. RD

      Let's say something else

    25. JS

      ... yeah, exactly. That's like a basic human thing that you'd want from everyone, let alone the person you're-

    26. RD

      Yeah, that's true. That's true

    27. JS

      ... you with. Right? It's, it's not-

    28. RD

      I, yeah, I think women definitely are potentially pickier, I'd say maybe-

    29. JS

      Really?

    30. RD

      ... when it comes to things like that.

  7. 14:2615:40

    Arrogance Versus Confidence

    1. JS

      I, I got up here the top five icks women commonly have about men.

    2. RD

      Yeah, go on.

    3. JS

      Lack of hygiene or grooming.

    4. RD

      Oh, wait, that women have about men?

    5. JS

      Yeah.

    6. RD

      Yeah, okay.

    7. JS

      Dirty nails, bad breath, or unkept hair can instantly kill attraction.

    8. RD

      Wow.

    9. JS

      Smelling bad or being generally unkept ranks high in surveys.

    10. RD

      Wow.

    11. JS

      However, I would say I know a lot of friends who are with guys who don't smell great, and they're still with them.

    12. RD

      Oh, interesting.

    13. JS

      Yeah. Number two is icks that women have about men, overconfidence or cockiness.

    14. RD

      Oh, that's a big ick, yes.

    15. JS

      Bragging-

    16. RD

      Bragging

    17. JS

      ... dominating conversations, or acting like a know-it-all is often perceived as insecurity masked as arrogance.

    18. RD

      I like that. That's a good one.

    19. JS

      Let's talk about that. What is the difference between confidence and cockiness, and confidence and arrogance, for you?

    20. RD

      I think arrogance is when you are trying to prove to someone that what your worth is, when you're trying to prove to someone that you are better than something else or someone else. And I think confidence is ... You know, co- confidence I just find is so much quieter. It's like you just show up with energy that is you are supporting your own self. You're not trying to put other people down in trying to make yourself look better.

    21. JS

      Right.

    22. RD

      A lot of the time with arrogance, people are trying to put other people down,

  8. 15:4017:25

    Childishness and Immaturity

    1. RD

      or they're acting in a way that feels superior. I think that's the difference. Arrogance is superiority. Confidence is being able to carry yourself with y- respect for yourself.

    2. JS

      Yeah. Yeah.

    3. RD

      And I think you really see the difference when people are talking, acting, how they act towards other people, how they act towards you, the things that they say in conversation even on a date. Like, it's so obvious when someone is cocky, and usually cockiness comes from insecurity, so ...

    4. JS

      Yeah. I, I definitely think overconfidence or arrogance is a turn-off for everyone.

    5. RD

      Yeah.

    6. JS

      I, I don't enjoy it-

    7. RD

      Exactly

    8. JS

      ... in a conversation. It's, it's, it's not endearing. It's not impressive. You switch off really, really quickly.

    9. RD

      Yeah.

    10. JS

      Um, that makes a lot of sense. Number three [laughs] is immaturity or childish behavior. This includes playing too many video games-

    11. RD

      Mm

    12. JS

      ... making crude jokes, or being emotionally unavailable or avoidant. Those are all icks for women, like serious icks.

    13. RD

      Yeah. I think the childish behavior ... It's interesting, 'cause I think some women actually, depending on what traumas they've been through when they've been younger, babying a man is what they've been used to or-

    14. JS

      Interesting

    15. RD

      ... or are attracted to.

    16. JS

      Interesting.

    17. RD

      A man to save, a man to look after, a man to care for. So I actually see a lot more women ... Well, I see a lot of powerful women ending up with people like that, where they have to-

    18. JS

      Interesting

    19. RD

      ... look after them.

    20. JS

      Interesting.

    21. RD

      But I can understand why it should be a turn-off, because you don't want to be mothering your boyfriend or your partner.

    22. JS

      Yeah. I, I think it's really interesting. I think sometimes women get into relationships hoping the man will change.

    23. RD

      Yes.

    24. JS

      And men get into relationships hoping the woman will never change.

    25. RD

      Yes. That's so true.

    26. JS

      And what ends up happening is that the man doesn't change and the woman does.

    27. RD

      Mm.

    28. JS

      So it's the opposite of what you

  9. 17:2521:43

    Is It Just Poor Communication?

    1. JS

      wanted.

    2. RD

      Opposite way.

    3. JS

      And when you get into a relationship with a guy who plays video games, he's not just gonna stop playing video games the moment you get married. That's, that's what he does.

    4. RD

      Yeah.

    5. JS

      And you're not gonna change that about him, and I think that's what's so interesting about these icks, is that if something really affects you, you should know it's less likely to change than more likely.

    6. RD

      Yeah.

    7. JS

      Especially if it's something conditioned and deeply a part of their life.

    8. RD

      Mm-hmm.

    9. JS

      Right? And so if something does affect you that deeply, the two questions you have to ask is, why does this trigger me so much? And am I okay if this never changes?

    10. RD

      Yeah.

    11. JS

      I think that's really important.

    12. RD

      It is.

    13. JS

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    14. RD

      See, I think there's a difference between icks now and, um, what makes someone feel secure in a relationship.

    15. JS

      Mm-hmm.

    16. RD

      Because that's a big security part of a relationship, where y- if you feel confused about where you stand, if the person isn't communicating in a way that makes you feel wanted, that actually breeds insecurity in a relationship, and I think that more than an ick, that is probably a ser- an ick, ick to me is something that's not a serious problem. An ick to me is something slightly silly that-

    17. JS

      Yeah, yeah, yeah

    18. RD

      ... that your mind's fixated on, but you know, there is a bit of humor to it, whereas this doesn't seem like an ick. It seems like more of a serious issue, because you don't know where you stand in the relationship.

    19. JS

      Yeah.

    20. RD

      And I think that, that you have to know the difference between an ick and something that is actually fundamental.

    21. JS

      That's really interesting, because usually we overvalue an ick, and we undervalue a fundamental.

    22. RD

      Yes.

    23. JS

      So-

    24. RD

      Red Flag

    25. JS

      ... if someone runs with their backpack bouncing [laughs] -

    26. RD

      Hmm

    27. JS

      ... we think, "Oh my gosh, they're so unattractive."

    28. RD

      Yeah.

    29. JS

      But if someone doesn't reply, you're like, "Oh, they must be busy," right? So we make excuses for the fundamentals-

    30. RD

      Yeah

  10. 21:4323:38

    Top 5 Icks Men have About Women

    1. RD

      so that even the things that you would normally find unattractive, you find attractive in them, especially if it's in a toxic relationship. When it's a toxic relationship where things are up and down, apparently the hormones in your body, the chemicals in your mind, end up finding even the things that are absolutely grotesque, your body actually t- even if the person has bad breath, you don't smell the bad breath.

    2. JS

      Wow.

    3. RD

      Even if the person, you, you get used to even their smell and the way that they speak and the, everything that you would normally find disgusting in someone else, that other people may even notice, you don't. That's why it's so funny, uh, you know, when you end up seeing someone that your friend's dating, and you're like, "How in the world?" Especially if they weren't a good person, and then you see-

    4. JS

      Yeah, yeah

    5. RD

      ... maybe s- physically they don't match either. It's like that shallow halo effect-

    6. JS

      Yeah

    7. RD

      ... where the person is literally seeing a completely different version-

    8. JS

      Yeah

    9. RD

      ... to the person that they actually are.

    10. JS

      That's fascinating. That is so true as well.

    11. RD

      Mm.

    12. JS

      So true. All right, I wanna go through the list of the top five icks men have about women. Number one, o-

    13. RD

      Wait, can I say one more thing?

    14. JS

      Go on.

    15. RD

      The, it's, it's like, for example, I remember I really disliked smoking when I was growing up, but then I remember thinking this guy at my college was really attractive, and, but he was a smoker. And at that point, I was like, "Oh, wow, I actually really like the smell of s-" I was around the smell of smoke so much, I ended up thinking I liked the smell of smoke.

    16. JS

      Wow.

    17. RD

      Even though I absolutely despise smoking. And my friends have said the same thing when they've dated people who drink alcohol or when they've dated people who smoke weed. They absolutely hate it, would never do it themselves, but because they were obsessed with that person or thought that person was attractive, suddenly what they do becomes attractive.

    18. JS

      That's why it's so im-

    19. RD

      Isn't that so interesting?

    20. JS

      That is, yeah, and that's why it's so important to choose someone in your life that actually has the habits and things you want, because-

    21. RD

      Right

    22. JS

      ... you're gonna be influenced-

    23. RD

      Right

    24. JS

      ... and you're gonna be impacted even if you don't wanna be.

    25. RD

      It, no, I didn't wanna do it. I just, it, my mind shifted towards accepting it.

    26. JS

      Right, if you would've stayed with that person or got with them or whatever-

    27. RD

      Right, right, right, right

    28. JS

      ... that slowly would become your lifestyle.

    29. RD

      Yeah, maybe.

    30. JS

      Right?

  11. 23:3829:03

    The Guy with a List (@wyszkay)

    1. RD

      don't like just because someone that you like does it.

    2. JS

      Yeah.

    3. RD

      Opposite of icks.

    4. JS

      Top five icks men commonly have about women. Number one, overly superficial behavior. Talking only about appearances, name-dropping, or obsessing over social media and selfies. Yeah, I, yeah, it's frustrating.

    5. RD

      I love a good selfie.

    6. JS

      I know you do. I am your Instagram husband, and I never get a photo credit, ever.

    7. RD

      You don't, you c- once you're married, you don't need photo cred.

    8. JS

      Why?

    9. RD

      It's just part of the relationship.

    10. JS

      Right, okay.

    11. RD

      Yeah.

    12. JS

      Yeah, that's an ick right there.

    13. RD

      [laughs]

    14. JS

      And number two, playing mind games, being intentionally vague, manipulative-

    15. RD

      Yeah

    16. JS

      ... or using passive aggressive tactics.

    17. RD

      That's a fundamental problem.

    18. JS

      That's for both, yeah.

    19. RD

      Yeah, that's not an ick. I feel like that's a fundamental issue.

    20. JS

      Yeah. Number three, entitlement or materialism, expecting to be spoiled without reciprocation or judging people based on money, status, or possessions.

    21. RD

      Some guys like that, to be honest.

    22. JS

      Yeah, because that-

    23. RD

      Some guys like a girl that will give-

    24. JS

      That gives them the ability-

    25. RD

      ... them princess treatment

    26. JS

      ... well, some relationships like that because then it, it becomes an easy way of showing status.

    27. RD

      Yes.

    28. JS

      Or an easy way of showing prowess.

    29. RD

      Yeah.

    30. JS

      I don't love that, though.

Episode duration: 29:03

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