Why People Demean Others - Rabbi Zamir Cohen

There are situations like this, people who are not so refined in their character traits. So, in order to feel important and respected, what do they do? They take the person closest to them and try to belittle them, degrade them, and humiliate them. They will always show them how they are wrong and how they are stupid. And And there are those who belittle everyone, degrade everyone, humiliate everyone, and no one understands why they do it. And they don't know that it doesn't stem from strength, it stems from weakness. This person feels so small and pathetic and they know that everyone is above them. So what do they do? They belittle others to feel superior. As the sages taught in Kiddushin, whoever disqualifies others does so with their own blemish. A person who you feel is always disqualifying others has some fixed phrase like this one is a thief, that one is a thief, this one is a thief too, and that one is a thief too. The whole world are thieves. Check him, the sages say, and you will discover that this person is flawed with theft himself. Therefore, a person who knows someone like this shouldn't be offended by him. You shouldn't take things to heart, but if you feel hurt by that person who destroys your self-confidence, who humiliates, degrades, and belittles you, even regarding this, not just a person who is a negative example in spirituality, but also a person who harms the personality of another, lowers their self-confidence, their joy of life about him too. King Solomon says, stay away from a foolish man. And even here, do not hate him. You can even pray for him to walk on the right path, but do not associate with him.