An Ounce - For Your Consideration
Discover hidden stories from history—bite-sized, clever tales that challenge what you thought you knew. At An Ounce, we uncover the little moments that quietly changed everything, surprising truths, and fascinating facts you won’t hear elsewhere.
I’m Jim Fugate—retired firefighter, lifelong learner, and an outside-the-box thinker who loves sharing history’s hidden gems. These quick, engaging stories don’t take themselves too seriously, won’t steal your precious time, and might just make you feel a little bit smarter.
I hope you’ll join a community of curious minds who enjoy a fresh take on history—where conversation is always open and everyone’s invited.
An Ounce - For Your Consideration
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.