A Slap in the Face Why Insults Hurt--And Why They Shouldn't

Insults are part of the fabric of daily life. Other people inflict them on us, sometimes blatantly but more often subtly. On some occasions, we are delighted to be on the receiving end of these insults: when the members of a group we have joined start playfully teasing us, for example, it can be a sign of acceptance into the group. On other occasions, though, an insult can cause us pain so intense that even years later, we will find ourselves experiencing insult flashbacks. We are also the source of insults. Some of them are consciously inflicted, but many more are sufficiently subtle that we will not recognize them for what they are unless we replay conversations in our head and try to fathom our motives for having said the things we said. Do this, and we might be astonished by our tendency, in casual conversation, to put people into what we regard as their proper place -- namely, somewhere below us on the social hierarchy. InA Slap in the Face, William B. Irvine undertakes a wide-ranging investigation of insults, their history, the role they play in social relationships, and the science behind them. He offers advice, based primarily on the writings of the Stoic philosophers, on how best to curb our own insulting tendencies and how best to respond to the insults that are directed our way.

William B. Irvine is Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. His books include A Guide to the Good Life: the Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (OUP 2008) and On Desire: Why We Want What We Want (OUP 2007).

Preface

1. Introduction
Part I: The Insult Arsenal
2. Words like Daggers
3. Subtle Digs
4. Bludgeoned with Praise
5. Benign Insults

Part II: Insult Psychology
6. A World of Hurt
7. Who Gets Hurt?
8. Why We Insult

Part III: Dealing with Insults
9. Personal Responses to Insults
10. Societal Responses to Insults
11. Insults-The Inner Game
12. Insights

Notes
Works Cited