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A Slap In The Face: Why Insults Hurt--And Why They Shouldn't (2013)

by William B. Irvine(Favorite Author)

3.46 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0199934452 (ISBN13: 9780199934454)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Oxford University Press

review 1: This book describes the many, many, many ways a person can insult and be insulted. There is an almost infinite well of ways to insult out there. I wasn't even aware of that until I read this little book. After half of the book describing all the possible insults, the author gives some advice on how to deal with them, and in sum, he says that the best way to self-protect is to self-deprecate. Laughing at yourself, make fun of yourself and say "thank you". The insulters will be disconcerted and you will get away peacefully. My favorite insult was this: "I am sitting down in the smallest room of my house, I have your review in front of me. Soon it will be behind me". My favorite retort was this: having found in the used books store a book that he gave to a friend as a gift wi... moreth the note "With appreciation" written in the first page, the author re-purchased it and re-sent it to the same friend with the note "with renovated appreciation" written in the first page. Hilarious!
review 2: I think this book was about 75 pages too long. The author seemed to belabor the point in a few chapters. But I found the information fascinating. I've often wondered why people enjoy laughing at others and go out of their way to hurt others with words. I didn't find many of the examples convincing (as they are out of my own experience) but the I really appreciated the chapters on how to react to an insult. I especially like the idea of turning it into a joke on oneself, or completely deadpanning, taking an insult as a form of constructive criticism. I definitely consider myself an insult pacifist. Makes me want to research the Stoics and see if Irvine was talking out of his hat! less

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