Why do we love to taunt adversaries?

Many Valletta FC fans are ready to extend their ‘condolences’ to their defeated opponents in this evening’s highly anticipated mock funeral – the perfect occasion for taunting and mickey-taking. From politics to village feasts, to football, why do the Maltese love taunting their adversaries and relish rivalry and competition? According to anthropologist David Zammit, the rivalry that pervades Maltese society is prompted by the fact that our society is a relatively homogeneous one where differences between us are few. “Our society has gone through a great deal of levelling. For instance, in the past, there were few lawyers. Now, lots of people study to become lawyers. Also in the past, people would have been told to ‘stick to their place’. Social structures are now much more fluid. “Competition is there-fore promoted.” Maltese society is also saturated with a strong egalitarian ethos, Dr Zammit adds. No one should be better than anyone – if they are, then they must have cheated. The Maltese don’t accept that anyone can be better than them – if someone did, then they’d complain that they were victims of discrimination. “Although we have many institutions and structures that...