Abstract of "Humiliation in the Flesh: Honour Is 'Face,' Arrogance Is 'Nose Up,' and Humiliation Is 'To Be Put Down'" by Evelin G. Lindner

This paper plays out the dynamics of humiliation within the framework of Lakoff and Johnson's work on metaphor. The article discusses the question to what extent humiliation may be stable and universal and to what extent culture-dependent, and maps some instantiations of humiliation and ways to respond to it. In the first part of the article the concept of humiliation is discussed in two ways. First the universal and stable core of the concept of humiliation is addressed, showing that every human being knows what humiliation is, and secondly the culture-dependent periphery is attended to, focusing on the different meanings of humiliation in those societies that are based on honour and domination, and those that are based on human rights. The second part of the article presents cases of humiliation and ways to respond to it. Nelson Mandela's innovative way of avoiding violent counter humiliation of his humiliators receives special attention.