Misanthropes: I don't get you.

[Zakarath]

Mostly, I hate humanity because of things like mountaintop removal mining. Apart from that sort of thing, I do keep a fairly positive outlook.

 

[TheDoctor455]

You know. I like to....


But seriously looking at the bright of life is just better. You can't really argue against it. Plus it's better for your health.

Uhh... no. It isn't. Trust me, I tried that for a while. And people inevitably let me down so badly that its impossible to see people in general as anything but assholes.

Individuals though, I still give them a chance... a chance many still manage to muck up... but still.

That's because you look at people the wrong way. People aren't shit and people aren't great. People are just people. people are selfish and greedy, people are generous and kind. How you choose to look at them, and at life for that matter is your problem.

Your arrogance is astounding. I find it very difficult to buy that there is a "wrong way" to view people or anything for that matter. And remember that I made a distinction between "people" and "individuals."

 

[retyopy]

Because the world doesnt reward those that are "Nice" It rewards those that are ruthless and devoid of feelings if you want to get anywhere.

The world might not, but other people will.

 

[SD-Fiend]

well see I have a problem with that, most of you people live in a comfortable environment and have never experienced anything all that bad you've probably never fought in any of those "trivial wars' you were talking about and probably never will you sit there complaining about how bad the world is and not trying to make it a better place like so many others who take time out of their lives to just to make you more comfortable. you people have no excuse to complain if you aren't either sacrificing your life for others in one of these never ending trivial wars or at least making the world better.

Uhh...what?

Don't make presumptions about people you know nothing about. And since when is misanthropy self-exclusive? I have abundant dislike for humans, and that includes me.

No-one takes time out their life ot make me comfortable; they do it because its their job, just like it will be my job to make people more comfortable (in a way). So before you start preaching on how to make the world a better place, do your research on whom you are talking to, and whether you yourself go to the local soup kitchen to feed the five thousand.

well at least you don't think that you are better than everyone else that would be just annoying I've seen a few replies on various threads like this where people complain that no one does anything nice for them so they shouldn't either. And I actually do go to a soup kitchen but not that often... it's not like it's anything special anyways.
But most supposed misanthropes only dwell on the bad things in history that don't even affect them and have no legit reason to complain instead they sit there and cry about the environment/economy/place what's wrong with the world here instead of moving on with life or trying to do something about it like joining some organization or something.
besides if you hate people so much why would you even care to think about them I just don't give a rats arse about what they do.

sorry if you find something wrong with this I'm terrible with arguments

P.S. how would I research you if you don't give me information about who you are on your bio?

 

[Kargathia]

Spoiler: a lot of text n stuff

The media reports fairly accurately actually. Its just its hardly going to report on that organ donation that saved a girls life, or that man who gave blood and saved a terminal patient. Its going to focus on the war or the fire or the riots, and maybe rightly so. But it makes the world look worse than it actually is. Im not claiming there is more nice than bad, im saying assuming you know is silly, i make no claim to a lovey dovey flowery world full of bunnies. It is what it is with a mix of people everwhere some good some bad in different ratios and the best you can do is try and be a good person while being nice to everyone around you no matter who they are. My opinion isnt drawn from anytihng because im not making a massive assertion. I accept the balence and the variety of life and say any broad statement on the nature of any one thing as large as "people" is a waste of time and more than likely wrong.

Misanthropy seems to basically flawed on this point. Sweeping generalisations are always always wrong. I cant argue with your opinion. But its a FACT that the world isnt all bad or all good. Or have any particular leaning either way.

Yet again, I have never claimed to know one way or another. And I've never said that the world is all bad or all good. I have, however, stated that for me it makes far FAR more sense to assume that the world is full of shit. Because then you can either be happily disappointed or proven right. And you can find the good in the news if you know where to look. Paying attention to only one news source is shortsighted and blinds you to all the other news from around the world. The internet has made a complete global culture that means I can go from looking at CNN and seeing how people are being blown to pieces halfway around the world to reading a blog about how my neighbor found a wallet and returned it to its owner.

Id rather assume things will be good so that despite all the dissapointment i still have something to strive for, and i can honestly say the feeling of being right when you have faith in someone is a billion times better than either of your feelings when you are either proven right by an asshole or surprised by a nice person. Putting all your faith in someone and being rewarded in turn is very fullfilling. Im sad that seemingly misanthropes never get this feeling.

You know what. Im sorry. I get angry at misanthropes a lot, its an opinion that really rubs me the wrong way. You seem decent despite your admition you are shit, and thats the saddest part. Im willing to bet you are not. And misanthropy takes that and crushes it beyond recognition. Its just a little sad really. Even if you think you are shit. Im confident you are not.

Yet again, where in any of this are we personally attacking you? And where is anyone claiming to be BETTER than anyone else? I'm a shit person, I'm fully willing to admit it. And yet, you're the one who is claiming that the world would be better off without a group of people, simply because their views differ from yours. You are in fact the one being arrogant, by refusing to even entertain a valid and legitimate view of someone else. You're saying that everyone who doesn't love the world is just flatout wrong, for no reason. That is arrogance. Stop thinking everything is a personal attack on you, and stop trying to insult people in order to belittle their point so you don't have to consider it in a valid and intelligent manner.

While im sad you consider yourself shit you make a poor example of who im talking about. Most misanthropes never include themselves in their everyone sucks theory, putting themselves instead in a niche of high beings. This outlook couldnt irk me more.

This wasnt aimed at you. Aimed at the guy who implied everyone who wasnt a misanthrope was a degenernate. Honestly i have no issue with you. I dont think any view is better than any other. I think these people who go on about how much everyone sucks and brings everything down dont add anything, and are in fact part of the problem or failing that definately not part of the solution. Sorry. This topic gets me riled up. Im sure youre a good guy, your views seem the most mild and agreeable of some im seeing. I just happened to include that with yours.

And i take every notion that "most people suck" as an attack on me. Because it is. Everyone who makes this claim never seems to point out who these PEOPLE actually are. Am i one? Its safe to assume i am? Are my family and friends one. Hell these people assume and basically accuse everyone of being an asshole right of the bat, what isnt there to be offended by? I am part of everyone. Thus i take offence.

The more aggressive and loud misanthropes who maintain everyone sucks all the time except them for some unknown reason really really get to me, and if they are so confident they and other misanthropes are so much better than everyone, why wouldnt they want to go live by themselves. It seems they only reason why they wouldnt is so they have people to look down on. These people get my goat.

You are very polite and im sad to say i started this by being overly aggressive unneccessarily. And im sorry. That wasnt kosher.

It might be useful to realise that you're both glossing over where misanthropy ends, and personal judgement starts.

A misanthrope assumes that everything he doesn't know sucks, but your qualm with them is that they don't think as badly about themselves as they do about others. They know themselves, or at least are under that impression.

Can you still say you dislike misanthropy, or merely people who don't recognise that they aren't perfect either?

That said: I doubt there will be any true misanthropes in this thread. Pessimists: sure. People who consider everyone around them bad beyond any redemption - by their actions or otherwise? Very unlikely.

It's a nice, long, impressive word though. Have to give it that.

P.S. Xitel, I hate you. You stole all my fun!

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Erm, Life is nicer if you have a positive outlook? Knowing something would be nicer or easier doesn't make you compelled to run about the place wearing a shit eating grin. Seeing an optimist is like watching someone with a lobotomy. It's great that they look so happy, but they're really gross and you wouldn't want to trade places.

And they're shooting themselves in the foot. Every disappointment [and there are always more disappointments than good stuff] hurts more.

Also, haven't you ever considered that there are some people out there that have spent nearly their entire lives being stomped on? I mean, if you spent your early childhood to adult hood having to take everyone's shit [including people who were supposedly going to help you, but just abandoned you], would you not hate people? Everything has a reason.

And just think about it: Tell me one instance where more than like... 20% of humanity WEREN'T scum?
Edit:

Erm, Life is nicer if you have a positive outlook? Knowing something would be nicer or easier doesn't make you compelled to run about the place wearing a shit eating grin. Seeing an optimist is like watching someone with a lobotomy. It's great that they look so happy, but they're really gross and you wouldn't want to trade places.

You don't have to run around with a goofy smile to have a positive outlook. You can just be an optimist and hope for the best. Besides, better to have a positive outlook than view the entire world as a cesspool breeding only misery.

And it isn't? You're funny.

Wow. I literally laughed out loud. That's hardly ever happened on the forums.

Anyway, I'm in the same boat as the OP, having a negative outlook in life is boring and I think incredibly unproductive in trying to change what you hate about the world.

So if they hate people, then they should be positive and murder as many as they can? And how is it boring? Unless you consider constant disappointment in everything to be the best feeling ever that gives you the most fun in your life.

 

[TokenRupee]

Erm, Life is nicer if you have a positive outlook? Knowing something would be nicer or easier doesn't make you compelled to run about the place wearing a shit eating grin. Seeing an optimist is like watching someone with a lobotomy. It's great that they look so happy, but they're really gross and you wouldn't want to trade places.

You don't have to run around with a goofy smile to have a positive outlook. You can just be an optimist and hope for the best. Besides, better to have a positive outlook than view the entire world as a cesspool breeding only misery.

 

[Syzygy23]

Listen to yourselves. Every last one of us lives in a first world country. Who are YOU people to complain about how terrible humanity is? You have fresh clean water on demand! Comfortable, affordable clothing! Reliable private AND public transportation! And you have the gall to complain about people being scum and life being terrible? Try walking 15 miles a day in ungodly heat just to get unclean, unfiltered water. Try living in a place where power-mad warlords kill you on a whim. Try living in a place where you work 14 hour shifts for pennies to provide goods at a price that allows the existence of a middle class in a country you will never see. Try being a single parent, working multiple jobs just to keep a roof over your childrens heads and food in their stomachs. Those people actually have a REASON to complain, I have met MANY of them, have been in there place (some, not all) and none have ever complained that life in it's entirety was terrible, that humanity was incorrigible. Any misery you feel is your own damn fault for LETTING life get you down.

I'm going to lay it all on the line here:
You will fail. You are human, and inexperienced. Learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up when you fall, and try again.
You are not special. Nobody is. Anything you can do many more people out there can do better. You want to feel useful and get better, PRACTICE. STUDY. WORK AT IT.
You get out what you put in. You have a miserable life? Maybe you should try, y'know, doing what you need to do in order to make it better. Sad that people are jerks? Volunteer down at the homeless shelter, the dog pound, the Red Cross instead of sitting on your ass whining about how evil everyone is. It's only true because your defeatist, fatalistic attitude ALLOWS it to be.

A year and a half ago I had nothing. No family for support, no job, no money, and no friends willing to loan me any charity. Now, I'm splitting a room and putting myself through college, writing a novel, creating a webcomic, and studying the C# programming language. Most of the results of these activities will more than likely result in a pile of unsalable crap, but I will learn what I can from my failures and make myself better than I was before.

And you know what? It's hard, it feels brutal at times, but I love life ever the more for it. I love it because I KNOW I can change it when I feel so inclined, I have that power, as I proven to myself over the past year and a half. I have access to all the resources I would ever need, all provided at minimum to no cost to myself or anyone else.

 

[tzimize]

It doesnt get me anywhere, but neither does loving it. There is a looooooooong list of stuff I'm not happy with in the world in general. And my first reaction when I die if I can see my creator would be to punch him in the mouth for doing such a fucking poor job.

That said, I have a positive outlook on most stuff, or at least look at it with an appropriate amount of black humor.

My life philosophy can be summarized more or less like this:

When stuff makes you either want to laugh or cry, try laughing. Its funner. Yes. I know its not spelled that way.

When you laugh, the world laughs with you, when you cry, you cry alone.

As for the creator, it's not him that ruined the world. its people.

If there is no creator you are correct. If there is one, he created it and by that action also ruined it. At least if we treat the creator like the default type all knowing/all powerful god.

If you know everything and still creates it, it is your doing.

 

[Lilani]

I'm a misantrope. I hate people because for the most part they're stupid, greedy, backstabbing and annoying. I approached life seeing it differently, it didn't work, now I approach it with the above philosophy. Don't get me wrong, life it...awesome...sometimes but people suck.

Answer me a question. Do you hate everybody? I mean EVERYBODY. Every single human being on the face of the earth. Even the ones who aren't stupid, greedy, backstabbling, or annoying. Do you feel the same sort of contempt for every single person you meet, and does that hatred never waver regardless of how good or honorable a person proves themself to be? Do you have absolutely no friends and hate/avoid all of your family? If not, if there are a few people or traits you can't help but like, then you cannot call yourself a misanthrope.

Hating shitty people does not make you a misanthrope, just like hating shitty meat do not make you a vegetarian. It just means there are certain kinds of people out there that you don't like. Which is perfectly normal, and not worthy of any special self-bestowed title. It just means you hate people that treat you badly, and there happen to be quite a number of people in the world who are capable of doing that.

 

[g3ko]

I hate you.

That really forced a chuckle on me.
What i'd like to add is that, after seeing how stupid some people can actually be, and then again, seeing the same traits that annoy me(i don't know about everyone, so, it's just my pov) is the "norm", it's kinda hard to still have a positive look on life. That doesn't mean that I think everyone is like this, it's just that if people are not like this, then, i'll find that out, and i'll be pleasantly surprised. If not, I will never be dissapointed. When you're naive, and then stop beeing naive, you can't go back to that, not really anyway.
Edit:

As for the "positive outlook on life", I have a general rule of "expect the worst and you can only be one of two things: pleasantly surprised, or right." (which is pretty positive for me)

already stated, my bad

 

[gabe12301]

That's because you look at people the wrong way. People aren't shit and people aren't great. People are just people. people are selfish and greedy, people are generous and kind. How you choose to look at them, and at life for that matter is your problem.

I find it very difficult to buy that there is a "wrong way" to view people or anything for that matter.

Then why are we on this thread?

The whole point of having these discussions is to try to push your point across. You can't make any statement without believing you are right and thus being arrogant by definition. Any other way and it wouldn't be much of a discussion would it? I was simply defending my views as is the point of all threads and discussions. So, to each his own and I wish you well.

 

[SD-Fiend]

[/quote]


P.S; Thats my point. You know nothing about me, yet you still passed judgement.[/quote]
Then why are you allowed to do so?

 

[MadarseLizard]

Its not "Life is pain, blah blah". I just don't like people generally. What's not to get?

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Because for every act of kindness, open mindedness, or other good things I see or hear about, there are hundreds of cases of hate, assholeness, and censorship and greed.

 

[SD-Fiend]

well at least you don't think that you are better than everyone else that would be just annoying I've seen a few replies on various threads like this where people complain that no one does anything nice for them so they shouldn't either. And I actually do go to a soup kitchen but not that often... it's not like it's anything special anyways.
But most supposed misanthropes only dwell on the bad things in history that don't even affect them and have no legit reason to complain instead they sit there and cry about the environment/economy/place what's wrong with the world here instead of moving on with life or trying to do something about it like joining some organization or something.
besides if you hate people so much why would you even care to think about them I just don't give a rats arse about what they do.

sorry if you find something wrong with this I'm terrible with arguments

P.S. how would I research you if you don't give me information about who you are on your bio?

Why would I think I am better than anyone else? All humans suck, whether you are black or white, rich or poor, fat or thin, it doesn't matter. The question isn't "Who do I like more?" Its "Who do I hate less?"

And I think about people because its impossible not to; they surround you everywhere. You go to work with them. They are in the streets with you. Living beside you. Its like that annoying advert on TV that is continually thrust into your face to persuade you to by a product.

P.S; Thats my point. You know nothing about me, yet you still passed judgement.

thewn why are you allowed to hate people you know nothing about?

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Eh, I think misanthropes are just a little pathetic really, I tend to discount a lot of things they say about people and give a little sigh. Most of them will get over it, but it's their loss. I don't really get worked up over it though.

I get that some people have had bad things happen to them, and might actually be depressed, but there are a lot of good people who will treat you well if you make the effort. I realised that a lot of people are a lot nicer than I used to think, but you've got to make the effort to be friendly. Life truly sucks unless you try, in my experience, just like everything else. I found that I only felt better when I looked myself and my own faults and worked on them, rather than looking at the faults of other people.

And that sounds really cheesy, sorry. But hey, if you're a misanthrope and you think I sound like a dick, I honestly don't give a flying fuck. I got over being a misanthropic douche ages ago, it doesn't make any sense; you're no better than anyone else and you're in no position to judge the rest of us, so shut up.

 

[Hoplon]

Oh, sure, on a higher level, I do. Humans suck, life is pain, etc. But on a more practical level, you just make no sense to me, and heres why: Life is so much nicer if you have a positive outlook! Just go out into the world, be a nice person, and do something fun. What's the point of hating humanity? Wheres that going to get you?

EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!

I met a lot of people, I read serious new sources and came the conclusion that the world is filled with a plague of such epic proportions that only fire could cleanse it.

That warmed my black little heart so very much I realised I hate humanity will all of that little black heart of mine.

Humanity has been keeping the fires of hate going ever since, This forum helps a lot.