The Ultimate Phobia?

'Islamophobia' and 'Homophobia'
are two terms among many
whose very trendiness
I struggle to comprehend.

But the oldest phobia comes
from cursing someone as 'stupid',
and making out that a bad deed or two
by them the sum of of the whole person.

There we act out our fear
of rational argument by ignoring
the vital differences between people
which multiply the sum of life.

To curse and do down the intelligence
of another is to reduce your own self
to brute insensitivity, and to increase
the other persons sense of burden
to make it carry your contempt.

Such contempt is a living death wish.