As a noun, disdain is a strong feeling that someone or something is not worthy of respect. As a verb, to disdain is to reject or look down on something with scorn.
From Old French 'desdeign', from Latin 'dedignari' meaning 'to think unworthy', from 'de-' and 'dignus' meaning 'worthy'. The core idea is judging something as beneath your dignity.
Disdain is like emotional nose-wrinkling—you’re not just saying 'I don’t like this', but 'This is beneath me.' It’s powerful, but dangerous, because it can make you blind to what you refuse to respect.
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