Deflating a Little Monster That’s a Big Problem

Most people don’t wake up wanting to despise someone — yet contempt keeps showing up anyway. In this episode of An Ounce, a small allegorical story reveals how contempt quietly grows, why it feels bigger than it is, and how it loses power when we stop feeding it. This isn’t a lecture. It’s a pattern worth noticing. If you’ve ever wondered how disagreement turns into dismissal — and how easily it can be reversed — this one’s for you. If it resonates, feel free to share it with someone else who might appreciate it. Another episode you'll also enjoy How to Disagree: Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 00:19 – The Unsettling Conclusion 00:54 – Introducing the Monster 01:48 – Inflated/Deflated 02:32 – They Preferred the Monster 02:56 – Ridiculous? 04:03 – Facing the Annoying Human 05:20 – An Ounce Further Reading & References For those interested in the psychology behind contempt, disagreement, and how certainty can quietly overpower understanding: • The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — John Gottman Groundbreaking research identifying contempt as the strongest predictor of relational breakdown. • The Righteous Mind — Jonathan Haidt Explains why people talk past each other — and how moral certainty often outruns understanding. • Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) — Carol Tavris & Elliot Aronson Why people double down instead of reassessing — and how rehearsal hardens belief. • Meditations — Marcus Aurelius A timeless exploration of withholding judgment, resisting contempt, and recognizing shared human frailty.

You can listen to Deflating a Little Monster That’s a Big Problem online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Deflating a Little Monster That’s a Big Problem is an episode from An Ounce by Jim Fugate.

This episode is 6:04 long.

This episode was published on Jan 21, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from An Ounce when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.