Today’s Word: belittle

October 15, 2017 =========

☆  belittle  見くびる

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If you belittle something or someone, you say (or imply) that they are unimportant or not very good. Regarding tradition and culture, often people will belittle other cultures or people, purely because they are different or have a different opinion from them. I often see this on the Internet, in the comments of articles or posts – since there is a feeling of anonymity, it is easy to belittle others online because there are really no consequences to fear.

Sometimes it really shocks me to read the comments, because people can really be so mean to others! We call this kind of person a “troll” or a “keyboard warrior” meaning that they are only able to belittle others because they are anonymous and not face to face. Is this the same in Japan? Do people tend to belittle others online because it is easy to do and still be anonymous?

Bye,

Chris