Contempt and hate

Contempt and hate are two highly negative emotions that can be found both between persons and between groups. This chapter describes the different characteristics of these emotions, but also their overlapping functions, namely social distancing. The difference between the two emotions mainly lies in the way in which social distance is created: contempt implies derogation, social exclusion, and indifference, whereas hate is associated with elimination and revenge. In extreme situations these emotions are likely to co-occur, however. The chapter also discusses the difference between short-term emotions versus long-term sentiments and their dynamic relation with respect to contempt and hate.