Okay, so today I wanted to dive into something a bit different, something I’ve been experimenting with – exploring and understanding the feeling of contempt.
It all started with a random podcast I was listening to. They were talking about emotional intelligence, and the concept of contempt came up. I realized I didn’t fully grasp it, so I decided to make it a little personal project.
My Experiment with Contempt
First, I spent some time just reading about it. Not heavy academic stuff, just some articles and blog posts, trying to get a sense of what contempt really looks like, how it differs from anger or frustration. I was reading something about it is more a sense of disdain or looking down on someone.
Then came the tricky part – trying to identify it in my own life. I started paying close attention to my reactions in different situations. It wasn’t about judging myself, but more about observing.
- Like, when I found myself rolling my eyes at someone’s comment online, I paused and asked myself, “Is this annoyance, or is there something deeper going on?”
- Or, I would catch myself making a sarcastic remark to a friend, and then I’d think, “Okay, where did that come from?”
- And I even looked at the situation that happened to me.
I started keeping a little journal – nothing fancy, just jotting down instances where I felt that flicker of something that might be contempt. I tried to describe the situation, my physical sensations (like, did my jaw clench?), and the thoughts that were running through my head.
The interesting thing I noticed was that contempt often showed up when I felt superior in some way, like I knew better or was somehow “above” the other person. Ouch. That wasn’t a fun realization, but it was definitely eye-opening.
I also started experimenting with different responses. Instead of giving in to that sarcastic comment, I tried taking a deep breath and either saying nothing or trying to rephrase my thoughts in a more neutral way. It felt awkward at first, but it also felt… better, somehow. Lighter.
This is definitely a work in progress. I’m not claiming to have mastered anything, but I’m finding that just the act of paying attention to this emotion, of shining a light on it, is making a difference. It’s helping me to be a bit more mindful, a bit more compassionate, both to myself and to others. I keep my journey.
