The missing link and unspoken driver behind much meanness (in development and otherwise) is contempt. Contempt is one of the worst regards a person can hold fo

The missing link and unspoken driver behind much meanness (in development and otherwise) is contempt. Contempt is one of the worst regards a person can hold for another--perhaps even worse than hatred. It's a fundamental lack of respect for another's worth, either within a domain or more generally. One can muster the will to express kindness for someone they dislike. But, it is virtually humanly impossible to be kind towards those one holds in contempt.