A slap in the face : why insults hurt and why they shouldn't
(Book)

Book Cover
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Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2013].
Status
Central - Adult Nonfiction
155.232 IRVIN
1 available

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Central - Adult Nonfiction155.232 IRVINAvailable

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Published
New York : Oxford University Press, [2013].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
253 pages ; 19 cm
Street Date
1303
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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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Irvine, W. B. (2013). A slap in the face: why insults hurt and why they shouldn't . Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Irvine, William Braxton, 1952-. 2013. A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt and Why They Shouldn't. Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Irvine, William Braxton, 1952-. A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt and Why They Shouldn't Oxford University Press, 2013.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Irvine, William Braxton. A Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt and Why They Shouldn't Oxford University Press, 2013.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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