mockery
Sign in to save300px|thumb|upright=1.4|The Mockery of the Owl: a 17th-century painting by Jan van Kessel the Elder, loosely depicting a scene from the 13th-century poem, [[The Owl and the Nightingale, in which the owl is mocked for its characteristics by other birds.]] Mockery or mocking is the act of insulting or making light of a person or other thing, sometimes merely by taunting, but often by making a caricature, purporting to engage in imitation in a way that highlights unflattering characteristics. Mockery can be done in a lighthearted and gentle way, but can also be cruel and hateful, such that it "co
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Etymology and function
- Mockery in psychology
- Mockery in philosophy
- Mockery in the arts
- Development in humans
- See also
- References
- External links
300px|thumb|upright=1.4|The Mockery of the Owl: a 17th-century painting by Jan van Kessel the Elder, loosely depicting a scene from the 13th-century poem, [[The Owl and the Nightingale, in which the owl is mocked for its characteristics by other birds.]] Mockery or mocking is the act of insulting or making light of a person or other thing, sometimes merely by taunting, but often by making a caricature, purporting to engage in imitation in a way that highlights unflattering characteristics. Mockery can be done in a lighthearted and gentle way, but can also be cruel and hateful, such that it "conjures images of corrosion, deliberate degradation, even subversion; thus, 'to laugh at in contempt, to make sport of' (OED)". Mockery appears to be unique to humans, and serves a number of psychological functions, such as reducing the perceived imbalance of power between authority figures and common people. Examples of mockery can be found in literature and the arts.
==Etymology and function==