Contempt

Contempt is a strong contempt, based on the conviction of worthlessness of people affected by it (including groups of people ) or institutions. After Meyers Encyclopedia of 1905 is " contempt, the feeling of personal worthlessness requirement originates in himself ( self-loathing ) or other ( contempt of others) ." Despise The word comes from the Middle High German verahten.

Your opposite is the respect.

Formation

Contempt arises from the assessment of another person as inferior. In strictly hierarchical cultures contempt is thus produced by the social rank or prestige, that holds a person, and runs " down ". In egalitarian cultures contempt arises from the belief that a person's social rank, which it owns, and the associated prestige not deserve it. You can then so also " bottom-up " judge.

Effects

Effects of contempt are the debasement of the person or cancellation of an institution under certain circumstances a concomitant lack of attention to appropriate person or social group as well as pain, alienation, stress, anger, rage, aggression, .. at the despised person and in consequence suffering and disease that is caused economic losses.

Inner resignation but also disregard for the rules of tormenting group, institution, .. or disregard of the agreements with the tormenting person ' mirror effect ' ( " responses " ) with contempt.

Sociological aspects

Sociologically is contempt of persons other than entertainment and social sanction a central component of shame cultures. As a sharp form of exclusion speaks contempt despised the validity, reputation and good name from, he " loses face ". ( See also humiliation. ) Even in today's Central Europe play contempt and respect in some subcultures a showy role, this ranges from the peer groups of young people on organized crime, the policy up to the scientific community of the universities. Contempt of spouses to each other is a common early sign of subsequent separation.

In guilt cultures, however, the signaling of respect and contempt in social interaction occurs - but not necessarily in their meaning - back. In these cultures, it is not a question that a contemptible person is regaining honor, but the fact that a " sinner " atones his guilt.

The former disdain of " dishonest professions " is a Exklusionsmerkmal the caste society. To date, it contributes to the contempt of professions if their representatives are treated in the exercise of their activities of others present often habitually, as if " they were air ," such as footmen, cleaners, inter alia, m. (see Erving Goffman, Interaction Ritual, 1967).

Emotion Psychological aspects

In the psychology of emotions contempt is considered either as a special form of disgust or anger (especially anger) or as a mixture of both emotions.

In the opinion of some emotion researchers (eg, Paul Ekman ) is contempt to the human basic emotions, which mimic expression is innate. He is the same in all cultures and across cultures decoded or recognized accordingly. According to others (eg, Robert Plutchik ) contempt is not a base emotion, since it is composed of other basic emotions ( disgust and anger).

In the context of modern psychoanalytic theory of neurosis contempt is seen as narcissistic - aggressive affect. In studies of affect regulation in patients with borderline personality disorder, there was an accumulation of emotions disgust and contempt.

Fiction

Literally that was " contempt" often treated, as in Schiller's glove.

" Contemptible gesture " is a made ​​use of in many European languages ​​metaphor, for example, in French " un geste de mépris " (Eng. " a contemptuous gesture " ) in Honoré de Balzac and Émile Zola; in German texts it says, " with a contemptuous gesture, " for example, Willi Bredel, Max von der Grün, Carlo Mierendorff, Otto Stoessl and Ernst Wiechert.

Phrase

The phrase " punish someone with contempt" wants to say that you ignore someone deliberately, intentionally ignores him.