Contempt
Contempt is an intense feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless-it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body. One example of contempt could be seen in the character Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol, who was cold-hearted, hating Christmas and poor people. The word originated in 1393, from the Latin word contemptus meaning "scorn." It is the past participle of contemnere and from com- intens. prefix + temnere "to slight, scorn." The origin is uncertain. Contemptuous appeared in 1529.
Robert C. Solomon places contempt on the same continuum as resentment and anger, and he argues that the differences between the three emotions are that resentment is directed toward a higher status individual; anger is directed toward an equal status individual, and contempt is directed toward a lower status individual. Contempt is often brought about by a combination of anger and disgust. Contempt is not a primary emotion; Robert Plutchik’s circumplex model asserts that contempt is a mixture of two of the primary emotions anger and disgust.
Cultural contexts
Ekman and Friesen (1986) identified a specific facial expression that observers in each of ten cultures, both Western and non-Western, agreed signaled contempt." In this study, citizens of West Sumatra, Indonesia, were given photos of American, Japanese, and Indonesian peoples. Their ability to classify some facial expressions as contempt versus the other categorical emotions of anger, disgust, happiness, sadness, fear, or surprise (with the level of agreement equating to 75%) shows that generally, across cultures, contempt is universally understood. “An expression in which the corner of the lip is tightened and raised slightly on one side of the face (or much more strongly on one side than the other) signaled contempt." This study showed that contempt, as well as the outward expression of contempt, can be pointed out across Western and Non-Western peoples when contrasted with other primary emotions.
Another study by Ekman, Sorenson, and Friesen, published in 1969, studied “Pan-Cultural Elements in Facial Displays of Emotion." Their findings suggest “that the pan-cultural element in facial displays of emotion is the association between facial muscular movements and discrete primary emotions, although cultures may still differ in what evokes emotion, in rules for controlling the display of emotion, and in behavioral consequences. Although some cultures differ in terms of how emotions are learned, taught and controlled, Ekman, Sorenson, and Friesen have found that cross-culturally, emotions can be recognized similarly. Contempt may frequently be one of the emotions experienced by privileged social classes or castes against the oppressed class or caste.
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Contempt ]
| W. Parrot Model of Emotions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Primary emotions | Secondary emotions | Tertiary emotions |
| Love | ||
| Affection | adoration, affection, attraction, caring, compassion, fondness, liking, love, romance, sentimentality, tenderness, | |
| Lust | arousal, desire, ecstasy, lust, passion, infatuation | |
| Longing | longing | |
| Joy | ||
| Contentment | Contentment, pleasure, happiness | |
| Enthrallment | enthronement, rapture | |
| Pride | pride, triumph | |
| Optimism | eagerness, hope, optimism | |
| Relief | relief | |
| Zest | enthusiasm, zeal, less, excitement, thrill, exhilarating | |
| Surprise | ||
| Surprise | amazement, surprise, astonishment | |
| Anger | ||
| Irritation | aggravation, irritation, education, annoyance, grouchiness, grumpiness | |
| Exasperation | exasperating, frustration | |
| Disgust | disgust, revulsion, contempt | |
| Rage | anger, rage, outrage, fury, rat, hostility, ferocity, hate, loathing, scorn, Spike, faithfulness, dislike, presentment | |
| Envy | envy, jealousy | |
| Torment | torment | |
| Sadness | ||
| Disappointment | dismay, disappointment, displeasure | |
| Neglect | alienation, isolation, neglect, loneliness, rejection, home sickness, defeat, detection, insecurity, embarrassment, humiliation, insult | |
| Sadness | depression, despair, hopelessness, gloom, loneliness, sadness unhappiness, grief, sorrow, woe, Missouri, melancholy | |
| Shame | guilt, shame, regret, remorse | |
| Suffering | agony, suffering, hurt, malaise | |
| Sympathy | pity, sympathy | |
| Fear | ||
| Horror | alarm, shock, fear, fright, or Caarol, panic, hysteria, mortification | |
| Nervousness | apprehension, anxiety, distressed, dread nervousness, phobia, tenseness, uneassiness, tremor, worry, distressed, dread | |
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