What does it mean to have contempt for someone?

Feeling contempt The basic notion of contempt is: “I’m better than you and you are lesser than me.” The most common trigger for this emotion is immoral action by a person or group of people to whom you feel superior. While contempt is a standalone emotion, it is often accompanied by anger, usually in a mild form such as annoyance.

Do you feel contempt for a higher ranking person?

While this kind of “upward contempt” is common, the reverse can also be true in which someone with a higher ranking may feel contempt towards those with a lower ranking. This feeling of power and superiority may be a pleasurable experience for some people, whereas for others it can feel embarrassing and/or shameful.

How did Paul Ekman come up with the concept of contempt?

Dr. Ekman’s original list of universal emotions, discovered during his groundbreaking research in New Guinea in the 1960s, didn’t include contempt but he later added it after his continued cross-cultural research. The basic notion of contempt is: “I’m better than you and you are lesser than me.”

Is the feeling of contempt a desirable emotion?

Since feeling contempt can assert a feeling of power, it may be a desirable emotion for some. As with all other emotions, the intensity of contempt varies, though the maximum intensity of contempt does not come near the maximum intensity of disgust.

How does contempt work in the Four Horsemen?

Contempt destroys psychological, emotional, and physical health. Anderson Cooper of CNN reacts to Dr. John Gottman’s findings on contempt, particularly about how emotionally and physically destructive it can be, in this short clip: Fortunately, like all of the four horsemen, there is an effective antidote to contempt, and it comes in two forms.

What does Gottman mean by contempt in marriage?

“If Gottman observes one or both partners in a marriage showing contempt toward the other, he considers it the most important sign that a marriage is in trouble.”. When we communicate with contempt, we are truly mean. Treating others with disrespect and mocking them with sarcasm and condescension are forms of contempt.

Where does the word contempt come from Paul Ekman?

Contempt, not classified among Paul Ekman’s six basic emotions of anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise, is a mixture of disgust and anger. The word originated in 1393, from the Latin word contemptus meaning “scorn”.