Deflating a Little Monster That’s a Big Problem

Most people don’t wake up wanting to despise someone — yet contempt keeps showing up anyway.

In this episode of An Ounce, a small allegorical story reveals how contempt quietly grows, why it feels bigger than it is, and how it loses power when we stop feeding it.

This isn’t a lecture.

It’s a pattern worth noticing.

If you’ve ever wondered how disagreement turns into dismissal — and how easily it can be reversed — this one’s for you.

If it resonates, feel free to share it with someone else who might appreciate it.

Another episode you'll also enjoy How to Disagree: https://youtu.be/qrU64J4jMcI

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
00:19 – The Unsettling Conclusion
00:54 – Introducing the Monster
01:48 – Inflated/Deflated
02:32 – They Preferred the Monster
02:56 – Ridiculous?
04:03 – Facing the Annoying Human
05:20 – An Ounce

Further Reading & References
For those interested in the psychology behind contempt, disagreement, and how certainty can quietly overpower understanding:
• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — John Gottman
Groundbreaking research identifying contempt as the strongest predictor of relational breakdown.
• The Righteous Mind — Jonathan Haidt
Explains why people talk past each other — and how moral certainty often outruns understanding.
• Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) — Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson
Why people double down instead of reassessing — and how rehearsal hardens belief.
• Meditations — Marcus Aurelius
A timeless exploration of withholding judgment, resisting contempt, and recognizing shared human frailty.