Contempt

Respect and Contempt: Part 2

Reflection

From an Orthodox Greek Cathedral, Athens 2022

I can find a few examples in my life of relationships where respect has become contempt.

Each of us, I suspect, has a mechanism in our value system that triggers this feeling of contempt. I also suspect that this causes a conflict for many people - are we allowed to feel this way? Shouldn’t we respect everyone equally?

As with respect, I think contempt implies an order of rank. If you feel contempt for someone, it usually has to do with them falling short of a standard, whether their actions or in their character. It is not easy to feel contempt for someone without also looking down on them.

I have noticed a trend where compassion is proposed as a remedy for contempt. A person may fall short of your expectations for many reasons - including their personal histories of trauma, mental health problems and difficult personal circumstances. If you take these into account and feel compassion for them, then you will see the error in your co…