Hold in centempt

[Cooliegirly]

"...he could be just as cutting to gushing devotees, who were unaware that he held in contempt the very flattery he demanded."

I'm having difficulty understanding the black part. Can someone help explain? Thank you.

[Conchita]

It does sound a bit contradictory. He wanted to be complimented, but at the same time he despised exaggerated or servile praise. At least this is how I understand it. Maybe someone else has a different interpretation.

[Alan]

Hi cooliegirly,

As usual Conchita has explained the sentence precisely. I could add a little. You said: