Comments on: Why Familiarity Really Does Breed Contempt

By: Babbo

Babbo — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:37:19 +0000

That's an interesting analysis Proops, and thanks for the original translation, but it disregards the plot of Huis Clos (which is a darkly comedic play, not a philosophical treatise). The gist of Huis Clos is that a group of people are trapped in a room they will seemingly never escape from, and they can't stand one another. It's definitely a play about social relationships and familiarity breeding contempt. Looking at it through a Freudian lens of id and ego is interesting, but wholly academic and not a prevalent theme in the play.

By: matt

matt — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:34:53 +0000

i think this stems from an unenlightened perspective that i would say over 99% of people have. people should learn to except others for their shortcomings and themselves and love all things unconditionally. it is all just a part of the material creation, which is suffering. This is all symptomatic of the inability to transcend the material nature. Its because people tend (out of ignorance) to identify with their bodies (and mind, as the mind is part of the body as much as the brain is), rather than the eternal unchanging nameless "Tao" or "spirit". once you remember u will know peace. =D

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:32:00 +0000

This study forgot to account for the SELF-SELECTION BIAS that is present in real life. If you don't like somebody, you tend to avoid interactions with them as much as possible.

By: egypupu

egypupu — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:50:00 +0000

The research has been carried out with young people with a primarily pairing intention. In intentional communities (like e.g. the Epicurean friendship circles from 300 BCE till 500 CE, where the intention was ataraxia, i.e. stress-FREEDOM) knowledge of and respect for the other person is a precondition. For such communities the underlying principle is "birds of a feather..."

By: † herzleid †

† herzleid † — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:36:00 +0000

I knew I was right about avoiding people. I'm saving this to send/show to everyone who's telling me to get out more. ;D

By: Proops

Proops — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Interesting article, but minor correction. Sartre never said "hell is other people". He wrote (Huis Clos) that l'enfer c'est les autres (hell is others). This refers to psychological others, similar to an id, but really the other Self that we regret or dislike about ourselves.