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Smith
Photo:
Sasha Aruntyunova
Zadie Smith
, 44, is one of the most important voices in world literature.
Her first novel "Show Teeth", published in 2000, became an international bestseller.
Since then, the Briton has published numerous essays and short stories.
At some point you start to see contempt as a virus.
First it affects individuals, then it spreads rapidly in families, communities, peoples, power structures, nations.
Less spectacular than hate.
Deadly.
When contempt kills, it doesn't necessarily happen as part of a campaign of revenge, not even consciously.
It can also be a fleeting whim.
Contempt is widespread and therefore life-threatening.
"The virus doesn't care about us."
It is the same with contempt: From their point of view, you don't even really rise to become an object of hate - that would require complete recognition of your own existence.
When faced with scorn, one is simply not considered as much as others, one does not count as a whole person, one is not a complete member of society.
You are a statistical quantity.
You are already factored in as a loss.
You can't fall back on anything.
You don't embody capital, and so you don't embody power.
One is negligible.
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