On why insulting people is poor communication

[nancylebov]

http://www.arghink.com/2008/01/09/snide-and-demean-why-im-trying-to-quit/

The point was that those people were not stupid. They read a book and liked it. When the Da Vinci Code came out, I didn’t trash it, either, not because I’m an author and authors should stick together, but because if something is legitimately popular, the best response is not to say, “I hate that, therefore it’s stupid,” but to ask, “Why is that popular?” Because “why is that popular” is interesting, and “I hate that, therefore it’s stupid” is just a prop to my self-esteem: “Thank God I have the taste not to like that.”

Link thanks to antaniell93, who ties it in with lashon hara.