Contempt Causes Mental Harm

Contempt causes pain and demoralizes us. It can be anything from a gesture, such as a grimace or wrinkle, to words that reflect dissatisfaction with what has been said or done at a given time. Few behaviors are as detrimental to psychological integrity as those that end up ending relationships or those that will forever be a scar on a child’s development.

Although we are more often used to talking or reading about hatred or indifference instead of contempt, contempt undoubtedly represents the most destructive of emotions. It is a weapon of mass destruction that requires sophisticated sophistication. While anger or indifference can be short-lived reactions to a given situation, contempt is much deeper than that.

People who feel contempt for others have a clear intention to humiliate. They will try to ridicule, degrade and even ignore other people. They do this by looking for the perfect opportunity to hurt the mind, shatter self-esteem, and forever break the bond of trust.

Contempt is often the order of the day, whether it is open or discreet. Whether that is the case or not, there is one thing we must always keep in mind: people who show contempt also show a cowardly behavior driven by anger and a total lack of emotional maturity.

The daily contempt causes rupture

We have all, at one time or another and in one way or another, experienced contempt. Maybe it was during childhood, when someone did not understand our drawings. Instead, they criticized, perhaps even making fun of. Maybe one of our parents downplayed everything we made, said, did, or wanted.

It is also possible that we have had a relationship with a partner who had contempt as a habit. Maybe they grimace every time we comment on something. Or maybe they criticized our taste, ignored our opinions, or downplayed everything we did and did not do. It is no coincidence that John Gottmann, a psychologist and renowned relationship expert, announced after a four-decade study that contempt is undoubtedly one of the factors that causes the most breakups in relationships.

Let us now take a closer look at what usually defines contempt.

The anatomy of contempt

• Contempt is the opposite of empathy.
• While empathy is our ability to open up to another person and relate to their version of reality and their needs, contempt, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. First we build a wall. Then we stand on top of that wall to be able to offend and degrade other people around us.

• In the same way, children who grow up in environments characterized by contempt and humiliation are more likely to develop low self-esteem, high guilt, embarrassment, stress and various anxiety disorders.
• People who are used to despising others have certain things in common. These people have very little tolerance for disagreement, and cannot know or see the needs of others. In addition to this, they are not very good at communicating. This is often why they resort to grimaces and sighs to show their deep contempt with attitudes, behavior and gaze.
• These people have certain specific psychological dimensions. They are full of frustration, anger and hatred. Their contempt projects their own negative emotions and personal dissatisfaction onto others.

Contempt causes psychological harm

Continuous contempt causes psychological harm and also affects our physical health. The University of Pennsylvania conducted a study of a number of different schools, and made several remarkable findings. The first thing they found was the effect contempt has on our self-esteem. All students who had been subjected to humiliation and contempt had a more negative self-image.

In the same way, contempt, stress and continuous harassment have a serious effect on our immune system. It is more common for victims of contempt to suffer from things like colds, allergies, digestive problems and various infections. All of this undoubtedly forces us to talk about this error, this tendency some people have to negatively affect others with their harsh words.

Contempt is the most destructive emotion because it invalidates others and actually causes psychological harm. Contempt shows an absolute lack of compassion and empathy. This emotion generates pain in others. Contempt causes anxiety and fear. Eventually, contempt ends up ruining our emotional relationships and relationships. It also causes children to grow up surrounded by fear and low self-esteem.