Contempt  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

"Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec" in the clothes of Moulin Rouge showgirl Jane Avril, photo by Nadar, 1894.

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Wikipedia Wiktionary Tumblr Wikisource YouTube Shop Featured: A Scheme for abolishing all Words is one of the wittiest and smartest comments on semantics. (Illustration: extreme close-up from the movie "The Big Swallow" (1901), produced and directed by James Williamson (1855-1933)

Contempt is an intense feeling of disrespect and dislike. It is similar to hate, but implies feelings of superiority. A person who has contempt for another individual looks down on that person. The recipient of contempt is deemed unworthy, beneath redemption. Contempt may be related to feelings of disgust and bitterness.

The old adage, "familiarity breeds contempt" means that we get sick of people and places that we see every day. In fact, however, familiarity generally produces attraction. This is documented as the mere exposure effect in psychology.

In a legal sense, contempt means disrespect for the authority of the court. A contempt of court charge may be brought against those who are unruly or disobedient.

Other usage

• Contempt of Court - willful violation of a lawful order
• Contempt (film), known as Le Mépris in its original French, a film by Jean-Luc Godard
• Contempt is a song by John Zorn from the 1989 album Naked City