Contempt is a negative feeling that is generated by considering that someone is inferior. Voltaire affirmed: “Everything is bearable except contempt”.
Sometimes we feel like we are better than others, and this causes undue tension in interpersonal relationships. Acknowledging these feelings and finding positive ways to deal with them to maintain good relationships with those around us is crucial.
Have you ever misjudged someone based solely on their appearance or personality, only to realize later that you were mistaken? I certainly have.
One example of this is tattoos. Some people automatically associate tattoos with an unsavoury character, but this is simply a stereotype. Our experiences often shape our biases and beliefs, leading us to make incorrect judgments. In my autobiography, “Bedroom Called Rainbow,” I share my journey of overcoming stereotypes, including one toward a particular language group. I had associated my personal experiences with a handful of people from this group to mean that all individuals, especially men, were a certain way. However, a profound experience taught me I needed to correct my perspective. In a nutshell, William Paley’s quote about contempt highlights how cognitive dissonance, defence mechanisms, and the belief in superiority can cloud our judgment and lead us to make erroneous assumptions.
The book of 1 Samuel in God’s Holy Word emphasizes the danger of contempt. It warns against rejecting God and giving in to our egotistical tendencies, which stem from the original sin committed by Adam and Eve. It serves as a potent reminder to prioritize following God over pursuing self-glorification rooted in self-hatred.
The book of 1 Samuel beautifully integrates the powerful message of 1 Samuel 2 vs 30 throughout its pages. This cautionary theme shines brightly and has a lasting impact on the reader, hopefully helping us identify our egoism and impart the willingness to give it up.
It is imperative to heed God’s warning that failing to align oneself with Him will result in both destruction and the fulfilment of one’s misguided desires. Upon first inspection, God may appear extremely brutal in 1 Samuel 2 vs 30. However, upon further examination of the backstory, we come to appreciate God’s profound longing to shield us from as much suffering as possible in this world, bound to cause us pain due to its fallen nature. 1 Samuel 10 vs 18-19, we see that God has granted the people’s wishes to be ruled by a physical king. The alarming thing is the reason the Israelites wanted a king was covetousness. The Israelites had forgotten that coveting is a sin found in the Holy Ten Commandments. 1 Samuel 8 vs 1, “Now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” The Israelites, who had THEE LIVING GOD, wanted to look like nations that were pagan.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT YOU GIVE YOUR RIGHTS AWAY JUST TO LOOK LIKE OTHERS?
Talk about slave mentality?
But, before we judge the Israelites, do we not still witness people blindly following the latest trends in hairstyles, makeup, clothing, music, and activism? Everyone wants to be unique, but only if they fit in with everyone else trying to be unique. This phenomenon has been humorously called “slaves of sameness” within the hairdressing community. Unfortunately, with it, the contempt for truth exposing mainstream propaganda. Fascinatingly, contempt is birthed from insecurity. The Paul Ekman Group tells us, “Those who are uncertain about their status may be more likely to manifest contempt to assert their (imagined) superiority over others.”- https://www.paulekman.com/universal-emotions/what-is-contempt/
We see this in the story of Israel choosing a king.
It can be challenging to understand the actions of God in 1 Samuel 10 vs 18-19 when it appears that He is responding to rejection negatively. However, after a closer look at the situation, there may be more than meets the eye.
In 1 Samuel 8 vs11-17, we witness the great love of our omniscient Father. God sought to prevent the Israelites from succumbing to socialist feudalism by warning them against appointing a king who would lead them down that path. This story serves as a warning to us not to abandon God’s loving and redemptive guidance.
The first king of Israel, Saul, failed his people by embracing pagan customs and eventually suffered defeat in battle, leading him to take his own life. As forewarned by God, Saul’s dictatorial rule oppressed the Israelites. Seeing how many of us live under the destructive influence of unfit leaders who go against God’s teachings, causing chaos and confusion, is disheartening.
When we turn away from God, we embrace the negative aspects of existence- the B-side. It’s not difficult to see how we keep repeating the same mistakes from history when we blindly follow our egos and feelings of contempt.
#Hayibo 