Contempt is an intense feeling of disrespect and dislike. It is similar to hate, but implies feelings of superiority/superciliousness. A person who has contempt for another individual looks down (condescends) 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 everyday. In fact, however, familiarity often produces attraction. This is documented as the mere exposure effect in psychology. The exception to the mere exposure effect is if the object is disliked in the beginning. Contempt and marriage In the book The Power of Thinking Without Thinking author Malcolm Gladwell discusses John Gottman's theories of how to predict which couples will stay married. Gottman's theory states that there are four major emotional reactions that are des

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