Talk:Misanthropy

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"Human race", Humans are not a race but a species.

"Regardless of the validity of a misanthropic worldview, some seem to believe that those with strongly-held misanthropy may suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and even suicidal tendencies. This is at best a tendentious and entirely subjective personal opinion which requires evidential substantiation."

Isn't this a TAD bit opinionated? Or is it really impossible to discuss this subject dispassionately?

It seems like this author was implying "the misanthropic worldview is quite valid (sound, even?). Those who don't agree with me are completely in denial."

I'm relatively misanthropic (acutally, I'm only disliking of civilized humans) but I'm not suffering low self-esteem, depression or sucidal tendencies. I'm pretty outgoing, though perhaps a bit socially awkward. But I'm not anywhere near depressed or suicidal.

Why is "accused" used so often? Seems NPOV to me, misanthropy isn't something we should be judging in this article, just something we are informing the reader about. --TomaydoDemato 14:42, 6 September 2005 (UTC)

I disagree. I read it as: "Many associate a misanthropic worldview with depression, etc. This is not a necessary condition to be misanthropic, however, and shouldn't be considered the case unless there is evidence to suggest it." --Krovisser 17:51, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Misanthropology

Is this a joke? I actually was wanting to start a band call misanthropology actually. But is this serious at all? I would appreciate some links.

Cleanup Taskforce article This article has been improved by the Cleanup Taskforce to conform with a higher standard of quality. Please see its Cleanup Taskforce page for more details on this process, and possible ideas on how you can further improve this article!

[edit] Just my humble opinion...

"Why is "accused" used so often? Seems NPOV to me, misanthropy isn't something we should be judging in this article, just something we are informing the reader about. --TomaydoDemato 14:42, 6 September 2005 (UTC)"


Exactly!! Saying the message I got from this article was "Look out for misanthropes" would be an euphemism! I even thought for a moment that being a misanthrope alone was a crime! --Plavalagunanbanshee 16:36, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup Taskforce

It looks like the main problem with this article is NPOV and a rather scattered look at the idea of misanthropy. I think the best way to organize this would be along the lines of misandry and misogyny, i.e. 1 Forms of misanthropy 2 misanthropyin popular culture 3 misanthropy in Mythology and/or 4 misanthropy in philosophy and religion

Kerowyn 00:41, 1 January 2006 (UTC)

  • Okay. I've cleaned up the entire article and tried to remove the "misanthropy is teh evil!!1!" vibe. What do y'all think? Kerowyn 03:16, 6 January 2006 (UTC)
Did a great job there dude! Didn't expect that high quality stuff when i came to this page. Wikipedia is getting generally better (just referring to the lead-in-def though not the whole article).Slicky 01:04, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] In my opinion

This article needs one of those, 'this needs to be edited to conform to higher standards' labels. I might edit it myself if I am sufficiently motivated, but I am sure someone else could refine it easily.

The article is generally biased and amateur. The examples of misanthropes should be in its own section. And I am not too sure about the zoophilics section.

[edit] Nihilism link

I think it should be made clear why there is a link to nihilism on this page. I personaly have both misanthropic and nihilistic beliefs (e.g. one aspect of my worldview is that i have a disdain for human biengs because of their search for meaning in a universe where non is accsible if it even exists). However I am hesitant to write this down as i am not sure how representative it is of nihilists/misanthropes as a whole.

[edit] Misanthropy in Popular Culture

This section needs a lot of work. It seems like it is meant to be a list but is written as a paragraph instead. --Mosquitopsu 06:12, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Heidegger and Misanthropy

I don't think Heidegger's discussion of "The They" in Being and Time is misanthropic. You are welcome to try and argue that in an academic paper, but it is certaintly not an explicit or a widely discussed fact about Heidegger's thought. Just google "Heidegger" and "Misanthropy". There just isn't any active discussion of a link between Heidegger and misanthropy. If you can't back up your claim that his technical term "the they" is in any way misanthropic or involves a hatred of humanity, then please remove Heidegger's name from this article entirely! --Colin 19:43, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] George Carlin and Misanthropy

The later work of Comedian George Carlin is extremely misanthropic - moreso than Bill Hicks. He deserves to be added to the list of Misanthropists in Popular Culture.--Colin 19:55, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] CLEANUP / REVISION!

This article is in heavy need of sectioning, and implementation/quoting of studies.

  • A great misunderstanding is the quoting of misanthropy emerging from fictional species/androids. Misantropy is a specious-intrinsic term and does not have anything todo with evolutionary/or-otherwise rivalry between species. This would semantically be something like anti-humanist/anti-antrohpy (don't know if there is a term, as it wouldn't make any sense considering we are the only relevant real species to apply such a term)

I removed this for now: " Misanthropy has led to serial killings, although the same may be said for any form of virulent hatred, including extreme racism and misogyny. Carl Panzram, who murdered at least 21 people, said "I hate all the fucking human race. I get a kick out of murdering people" while in a Washington DC jail in 1922.

Misanthropy can be misunderstood to be a psychiatric disorder. Some believe that those with strongly-held misanthropy may suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and even suicidal tendencies. However, this view conforms to the stereotype of the “gruff loner, who just needs a little love,” and has little clinical data to support it. " The following things are apparent:

  • misanthropy does not lead to serial killings, that is rather a manifested antisocial disorder. In fact misanthropes can appear very humane, prolly sarcastic. A likely depiction of a misanthrope can be seen in the show House MD. Misanthropes are to a great percentage prolly even more humanistic in their doing than normal people, as they are less egoistic, as depicted in the article in a quote: one sees himself and others to sit in the same boat (which is stalling/sinking whatever - metaphorically speaking). MOREOVER terminologically racism has nothing todo with misanthropy: The former is the opposition against certain features in goups of sapiens, the latter is opposed against the sapien species.

Misanthropy is unlikely to be a condition as it is rather a manifested philosophical view. Manifsted symptoms (depression, whatnot) that can be associated with misanthropes is another thing and certainly ARE medically well defined. Quoted STUDIES are needed if one would like to add something in that regard to the page! At last low self esteem doesn't really apply as a misanthrope would apply the low self esteem throughout any human being, thus there would be not differentiation possible contrary to the original way the term is used. So this low self esteem is rather misinterpreted strong humbleness.

Please add anything to the page as a revision. Slicky 14:14, 9 April 2006 (UTC)

At last the best corroborator wether one actually is a true misanthrope (after one has ample as-objective-as-it-gets indications) or not is the lifelong lack of children, distate of the mere concept to reproduction, copulation, grouping, et al. and therefore also lack of a partner.

[edit] euphemism

A euphemism makes a word less harsh and takes away negative meanings and connotations. Calling human beings "meatbags" isn't a euphemism. Insult isn't a great way to describe it, but it's the best I can think of, and it's more correct than 'euphemism' since it's the opposite of a euphemism.

- Maybe the word you're looking for is "pejorative?"

[edit] List-mania

Hate to say it, but this article would benefit from some good lists, especially in the pop culture section. - IstvanWolf 07:12, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Non-Human Misanthropes

Is it correct to include non-humans (such as Bender, the robot from Futurama) in the list of misanthropes? This seems to conflict with the very first sentence of the article, the definition of misanthropy as "a general dislike of the human race from the viewpoint of another human individual." This applies to at least Bender, Agent Smith and HK-47.

But can someone that is not human, that was origionally human be a Misasthrope, Envy from Full Metal Alechemist is one, but is no longer technicly human, and in much literature vampires are misanthropes, now they where born and raised human, but through event are no longer human.
  • I came here to make this point too, but you beat me to it.

It could also argued that a BEM (bug-eyed-monster) that hated other BEMs might be more of a kind of 'misanthrope' than a BEM that hated humans, which might just be 'normal' for BEMs that get along with each other just fine. So a 'vampire' that hated other vampires might be more of a misanthrope than one who didn't like people. (At least without tobasco sauce.)

Oh, yes, and one more misanthropic example in literature - In 'Aliens', Ripley makes the point about the aliens not screwing each other over for a buck (or percentage or however that quote went). Humans are certainly their own worst enemy in this film. The aliens aren't 'misanthropic' just because they kill humans and feed some of them to their babies, any more than you could be 'misanthropic' about cows while eating a burger.

Marvin (from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) might be an excellent non-human misanthrope. Not only does he hate people, he hates other robots, too. OK, so more precisely, he loathes everybody and everything. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 68.27.128.205 (talk) 22:24, 7 April 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Philosophy Section

This seems both badly written and somewhat irrelevant. Possibly delete it?

No don't delete it you twit. Why would you delete it? It is serious. And also Why did people delete the user box? I hate people damnit! MegaloManiac 17:50, 18 May 2006 (UTC) _________________________________________

Any possible interconnection with lycanthrope? Never can tell. 68.13.191.153 19:59, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lists

Someone's gotta do something about this article. The lists of misanthropes is way too long compared to the entire article. Either simplify the lists, or elaborate more on the subject at hand. I know I wont do it, I'll just leave it up to some of the humans passing across this page who, by the way, I hate! (Except for the 10~15 who I have developed a mutually advantageous relationship with). Also, just tell me if any other misanthropes have experienced this: Falling in love with a fellow human, without his/her knowledge, then tossing the argument around in your head that you have no right to like her, because shes just a human and you know a relationship would be pointless and futile, but you continue to freak out about it?

---I'm leaving this unsigned purposely, don't cut yourself over it.

[edit] Userbox

Misathrope This user is a Misanthrope.


I made this user box so love me.MegaloManiac 00:30, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Mandkind This user is a Misanthrope.


I made this one too. Its closer to the old one. MegaloManiac 23:48, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Geez, how about learning to spell?

You may want to consider being a little nicer. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time. Ungovernable ForceThe Wiki Kitchen! 05:24, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Need to reference sources of information

See Wikipedia policies:

[edit] Policies

KarenAnn 12:36, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] About Judaism (And Tragic Overgeneralizations)

I want to point it out, I am no fan of Israel or Zionism, and think that there is some truth that Zionism is inherantly a racist movement (afterall, it was invented in the 1800's, and mainly by a man who talks about how profitable it would be to invent racial anti-semitism so as to spur the Aliyah onward), however, I feel it is my personal obligation ot object to the statement, or at least rendering there of, that seems to suggst that this is the typical Judaic (as well as biblical) mindset of that religion (though it evidently was common from between the Diaspora to the 20th century).

This statement is as follows:

"Judaism attributes an irremediable inferior animal nature to all "Nations," namely all non-Jews, inferior by divine ordination to the "chosen" members of the Tribe.".

Remember, Talmud is a collection of various traditions from various authors, some of it is biggoted (one may look at the testamony of Israel Shahak or the Bjerkins libraries [1] [2] to get some decent information on the subject), and even contradictory, not only with the Torah but with itself as well (the Karaites are the most apt ones to pick up on this, bless them). The point being that these racist traditions are not inherently a part of the Bible, nor need be part of Judaism either. A good place to look at this subject is Manfred Davidmann's works on the conflict between the plain meaning of the Torah and Talmudic Judaism.

Thanks, and please guard yourselves from generalities, they tend to effect group-think in a bad way. -- RoyBot

[edit] Randal Graves ("Clerks")

There's a line spoken by Randal that sums up his misanthropic tendencies (therefore perhaps he should be included in the "pop culture references" section?)

"I hate people, but I love gatherings. Ironic, isn't it?" or something to that effect. His apathetic, or even malicious, actions towards paying customers is pretty good evidence as well. 199.214.27.152 17:32, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

While one could make a case that he has misanthropic tendencies (though he's probably just somewhat antisocial, given his considerable concern for Dante), this article isn't a list of misanthropes, it's just to explain the term. --TM 21:53, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Examples from literature?

Would the article benefit from specific examples for each of the authors listed? For instance, I believe one of Jonathan Swift's statements was something along the lines of "I hate and detest the animal called Man, but I love the occasional Tom, Dick, and Harry" and Florence King provides no scarcity of examples either. One of my favorites from her is "I've never understood why solitary confinement is considered a form of punishment in prison". Some of the authors already have examples given, but it might help to include examples for any others as well. SquareWave 04:07, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

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