Alright, alright, let’s gab about this contempt thing. I ain’t no fancy scholar, but I know a thing or two about disrespect, you see. It’s like when that snot-nosed kid down the road hollers at his ma, “You ain’t nothin’ but a dumb old hen!” That’s contempt, plain and simple.
Now, they got all sorts of fancy words for it, like “sarcasm” and “condescension.” Sounds like somethin’ you’d catch from eatin’ bad meat, right? But it just means talkin’ down to folks, makin’ ’em feel small. Like when that Mrs. Fancy-Pants at the church bake sale looked at my apple pie and said, “Oh, honey, is that the best you could do?” That’s condens… conde… whatever that word is! Just plain mean, that’s what it is.
- It’s like rollin’ your eyes when someone’s talkin’.
- It’s like sneerin’ when they trip and fall.
- It’s like callin’ someone names, real nasty ones.
And that “hostile humor,” they talk about? That’s just bein’ a smart aleck, makin’ fun of folks in a way that stings. Like when my old man used to joke about my cookin’, sayin’ it could kill a hog. Wasn’t funny, not one bit. Just made me feel like dirt.
Now, they say this contempt stuff happens in all sorts of places. Even in them courtrooms, you know, where the judges sit around in them black robes. If you go and sass the judge, they call it “contempt of court”. Sounds scary, huh? And it probably is. Means you’re disrespectin’ the whole shebang, the law and all. I reckon they don’t take too kindly to that.
They also talk about contempt in them… what do you call ’em… relationships? Yeah, that’s it. Like when a husband starts treatin’ his wife like she’s a dog. Tellin’ her she’s stupid, makin’ fun of the way she looks. That’s contempt, and it ain’t right. Or when a wife is always naggin’ and complainin’, never havin’ a kind word to say. That’s contempt too, just a different flavor. You gotta treat folks with respect, even when you’re mad as a hornet. That’s what my grandma always said, bless her soul.
They gave some examples, them fancy folks in the writin’s. Like if you say, “Look at you, makin’ breakfast and not askin’ me if I’d like any! You’re a selfish pig!” That’s contempt. See? It’s like calling someone a bad name just because they didn’t make you breakfast. Seems kinda harsh, if you ask me. A better way, they say, is to say somethin’ like, “I miss havin’ our mornin’s together — we used to really relax. I felt lonely, watchin’ you this mornin’.” See the difference? One’s like a slap in the face, the other’s like… well, like talkin’ like a decent human bein’.
Another example they give is drivin’. Like if someone cuts you off and you yell, “What on earth is wrong with you, drivin’ like a maniac!” That’s contempt, see? You’re disrespectin’ them and makin’ them feel bad. Now I understand why my neighbor Jed keeps getting into it with the other folks down the road, he is always yelling at people for driving like a maniac. Maybe Jed needs to learn a little bit about bein’ respectful.
So, I guess what it all boils down to is treatin’ folks the way you wanna be treated. Don’t go around puttin’ people down, makin’ ’em feel like they ain’t worth nothin’. That’s what this contempt thing is all about. It’s about disrespect, plain and simple. And disrespect ain’t gonna get you nowhere in this life, let me tell you. It’ll just make folks angry and bitter. Better to be kind, even when it’s hard. That’s what I always say.
And this here contempt thing ain’t just about words neither. It’s about actions too. Like when someone is always ignoring you when you are talking, like you are not even there. That’s contempt. Or when someone keeps comparing you to other people, making you feel like you are not good enough. That is also contempt. It’s like they are trying to make you small, like you are not worth their time.
So, yeah, that’s what I know about contempt. It ain’t pretty, and it ain’t right. Best to steer clear of it, if you can. Just be kind, be respectful, and treat folks the way you wanna be treated. That’s the best way to live, far as I can tell.
