Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

For me it seems like misanthropy is a more generalized form of bigotry, and simply because it's lacking specifics isn't categorized in the same way. I guess that's like hating the idea christmas because you don't like materialism/have just a general apathy towards it or hating it because you know santa claus isn't real anymore and it taints your view of the entirety of it.

I certainly don't think that misanthropy is considered any less of a hateful practice, it just lacks the anchoring of reason, whether a prejudice or not. It's my first time hearing both "misanthropy" and "bigotry" and I just looked them up so that is my two cents lmao

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

"Misanthropy is glorified in our culture" [citation needed]

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

I guess I can fall into this category. I don't hate "everyone" I hate "society". As a whole everything is going down the drain. Mostly the respect of others and our planet. Greed and selfishness are taking over. I know this is just a majority, and not everyone is this way. I generalize the worst of everyone, but trust individuals.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

The actions and attitudes of your typical bigots are much different than those of misanthropes, and so even if we were to categorize misanthropy as a type of bigotry (in the sense that both make generalized, prejudicial claims), I'm not sure that it'd be meaningful for our purposes.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Society's been down the drain a million times before. I honestly have a very hard time perceiving that it's worse off now than it was for the majority of history. We have developed things like human rights, have legal systems, have made women people, we officially recognize prejudice as a negative thing, we have such wonderous technological advances...just so many positive things that have happened in recent history in our part of the world. Greed has and will always exist, but more importantly, I seriously doubt you have any sort of fact to support that people are more greedy now than at some point in the past. I suppose we're raping earth's resources pretty quickly right now, but I see that as more a fact that we're so advanced and developed that there's now 7 billion people on the planet more than some collapse of society.


As to misanthropy being glorified in our culture, the stance that blindreper has does seem rather common. But I still don't think that that's what zaevod was getting at still, since blindreper is a self-declared misanthrope. You really must explain where this perspective of misanthropy being cool has come from zaevod. Is it the, for lack of a better way to put it, the culture of counter-culture that exists these days that you're talking about? That 'make fun of everything' style that exists? If that's what you were referring to, I guarantee that such vibes have existed long before your generation. It's simply glorified teasing that has branched over the internet. I suppose that would make it more pervasive and I would agree with your point...but I still suspect I'm not identifying zaevod's misanthropes correctly.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

I think Spenner is right in terms of one being more generalized and the other being a broader term. Focusing on the question, while bigotry is almost certainly a form of misanthropy, it is not necessarily reciprocal. For example wood is a building material but not all building materials are wood. There is a specific example that falls into a broad category, but that broad category is not just the specific example.

When it comes to comparing terms this similar, there will obviously be a grey area where they overlap for some and not for others. It is personal beliefs about these terms that will determine if someone thinks misanthropy is bigotry or not.

-o24

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Posting misanthropic content of practically any sort is an almost guaranteed way to raise your popularity in many parts of the internet... I see stuff like this all the time, even if the people agreeing do not consider themselves misanthropes. Of course, that also applies to the real world, but I see it very often in the internet.

Uh... Not all forms of bigotry are misanthropy, actually. Misanthropy refers to a hatred or mistrust of humanity as a whole.

People always focus on the problems, naturally. Society, in most aspects, has actually improved through the course of history.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Getting attention and being popular aren't the same thing.

Nor are some upper-middle class white people complaining on the internet about how their life sucks glorifying or even embodying misanthropy.

The kind of misanthropy you seem to think is being lionized on the internet is the kind of anarchy that well-off white kids who hate that their parents have rules get into, where they think it just means "You can do anything you want"

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Nah, it's like posting "I hate all humans" on facebook or other places and have lots of people admire you for it and agree, despite the fact that the person has outright stated that he/she hates them.

The point is that misanthropy is seen as far more "acceptable" as other forms of hatred, though Reincarnate has a point about the different attitudes of most bigots.

And there's also the ever so popular saying "I'm not a racist, I hate everyone equally..."

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

I don't think anybody in the history of facebook that has posted "I hate all humans" is actually a misanthrope. They've had a bad interaction with someone and are being hyperbolic for attention.

Actual misanthropes don't have facebook because why would you want to interact with people if you can't stand people?

In fact, expressing misanthropic ideas to get attention or approval from other people is directly contradictory to what misanthropy is.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

I see your point. Yes, I know most people who identify as misanthropes in the internet are not really such, but it's still strange how so many people seem to see this as a cool thing, rather than pointless whining.

Another very common thing, actually, are people who simply post on any content about animals and can't resist the urge to compare the cute animals to "those bastard, stupid evil humans that destroy the world". Sometimes, people act as if we're somehow "below" nature, even though we are a part of nature.

Even people in my family, sometimes, often make silly comments like "the human being truly is an evil thing" as a reaction to a particular crime done by a particular person. Those generalizations are almost always met with agreement, and this is what baffles me.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Posting the obvious wikipedia copypasta:

When we talk about something good or wrong, it often makes people react based on their feelings rather than reason.

If we're talking about actions and consequences, suddenly we can get somewhere and do something about what we're all discussing about.

I'm just assuming people loves to socialize with no further intents and stay on the good/wrong format because it gives a larger social freedom and doesn't need any form of commitment to your ideas. Yet, once in a while, I meet people who knows a lot about specific subjects and the discussion suddenly get a lot more interesting so, this obviously doesn't apply to everyone.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

I think a lot of it comes from the kind of actions humankind commits. War, destruction of nature, countries that force women to dress thick in garb and execute homosexuals with a lot of support from the majority of citizens. A lot of individuals in the human race are pretty awesome, but as a whole I think we're pretty disgusting as far as our behavior/morals. Nor sure if that makes me a misanthropist, but I don't consider myself a bigot.

Re: Why is misanthropy not considered bigotry?

Sorry for the bump.

What you said is precisely my problem with this. Why do ALL people need to be held responsible for what evil assholes do? Why am I, and other innocent people, "disgusting" because of the immoral actions of some individuals?