A slap in the face : why insults hurt and why they shouldn't
(Book)
Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2013].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
253 pages ; 19 cm
Status
Southside - Adult
155.232 Irv
1 available
155.232 Irv
1 available
Description
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Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Southside - Adult | 155.232 Irv | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2013].
Language
English
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
William Irvine undertakes a wide-ranging investigation of insults, their history, the role they play in social relationships, and the science behind them, examining not just memorable zingers, such as Elizabeth Bowen's description of Aldous Huxley as "The stupid person's idea of a clever person," but subtle insults as well, such as when someone insults us by reporting the insulting things others have said about us: "I never read bad reviews about myself," wrote entertainer Oscar Levant, "because my best friends invariably tell me about them." Irvine also considers the role insults play in our society: they can be used to cement relations, as when a woman playfully teases her husband, or to enforce a social hierarchy, as when a boss publicly berates an employee. He goes on to investigate the many ways society has tried to deal with insults-by adopting codes of politeness, for example, and outlawing hate speech-but concludes that the best way to deal with insults is to immunize ourselves against them: We need to transform ourselves in the manner recommended by Stoic philosophers. We should, more precisely, become insult pacifists, trying hard not to insult others and laughing off their attempts to insult us.
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