Contempt: The emotional rejection of those who are beneath our standards

Contempt is often overlooked in the emotion literature, but recent societal developments suggest that the feeling of contempt has become increasingly dominant, exemplified by increased polarisation and intolerance for other points of view. In this chapter we provide a detailed discussion of contempt in social life. Contempt may occur together with anger, disgust or resentment as part of an emotional response to others’ social transgressions, or it may become part of an overall longlasting sentiment towards certain individuals, groups or institutions. More than anger, contempt foreshadows a rupture between partners, colleagues or groups, and can clear the way for maltreatment of those considered inferior. These consequences are embedded in contempt’s characteristics: not simply blaming others, but devaluing and appraising them as inferior or incompetent. These appraisals often result in exclusion behaviours, such as ignoring, stonewalling and other forms of disengagement. Contempt is thus a social emotion par excellence: it works to regulate multiple hierarchies of morality, status and competence at all levels of social relations. Although its expression is often subtle, it is an emotion that can minimise disturbance and action in favour of simply communicating disdain. Contempt has been shown to predict romantic relationship breakdowns, and also violence towards the state or other institutions, licensed by feelings of disapproval, indifference and/or absence of care. In addition to detailing when and how contempt arises, and how it is perpetuated, we also suggest how we can deal with contempt and change it into a more constructive emotion.