It makes life much easier with those around you. And man, as a social being, needs a society of his own kind. But being able to get along with others does not mean loving them. And each of us, by the will of fate, has to maintain relationships with people whom we, to put it mildly, do not like. In this regard, the misanthrope is more sincere and honest to himself and others. gained particular popularity thanks to Moliere's comedy "The Misanthrope", in which the main character - Alceste - ridiculed and despised human sins and weaknesses.
Misanthrope. What are we dealing with?
A misanthrope is a person who despises other people and avoids communicating with them. This term is translated from ancient Greek as “misanthrope.” And although, indeed, many accuse misanthropes of total hatred of humanity, in reality everything is not so terrible. Let's figure out who he is - a monster in human form or a hermit?
Lone Philosopher
Misanthrope is a multifaceted concept. And people’s attitude towards misanthropy is just as ambiguous. Someone thinks that this individual only dreams of how to rid the planet of the infection called “homo sapiens”, while others are sure that misanthropy is a thing in itself, that is, a misanthrope lives by hatred of all humanity for the sake of hatred of to all humanity. But such characteristics are more suitable for social phobes and sociopaths. The misanthrope feels contempt for people, deep contempt. He does not accept their morality and weaknesses, he feels superior to those around him. As a rule, a misanthrope does not like humanity as a whole, without transferring it to specific people. As for communication, such a person maintains very warm relationships with close people and friends, of whom he has few. Only a select few can enter his close circle.
Is misanthrope contagious?
The question arises: are misanthropes born or are they made so by circumstances? Most likely, people come to such a philosophy of life over time. Misanthropes are disillusioned idealists with a subtle and vulnerable soul. But a feeling of a certain hopelessness makes them impenetrable cynics.
How to determine who you are - a misanthrope or a philanthropist?
If people irritate you, this does not mean that you are a misanthrope to the core. Perhaps you have ordinary depression. Below is a test that will help you determine which category of people you belong to.
Test: “Misanthrope or philanthropist - who is more in you?”
1. There is a program on TV about starving African children. And at the bottom of the TV screen there is an information line with the bank account number to which you can transfer money, you:
A) Switch to another channel.
B) Immediately go to the bank to make the transfer.
C) Start calling all your relatives and friends, urging them to also help those in need.
D) Would you rather give a couple of rubles to needy drug dealers?
A) Philosophical treatises of agnostics and stoics.
B) Masterpieces of Daria Dontsova.
B) You don’t read at all.
D) Fairy tales, fantasy, adventures.
3. What are the people around you like?
A) Are they surrounding me?
B) If you look closely, people are like people, there are even very nice ones.
B) Dust, despicable bugs.
D) I just adore them.
4. How do you feel about the death penalty?
A) For some people it must be used.
B) There is a state to solve this issue.
B) Against.
D) I have a positive attitude.
5. Public festivities are:
A) Another reason to drink.
B) Very good entertainment for working people.
C) An excuse for people to get drunk and spend all their money.
D) A bunch of slackers hungry for free bread and circuses.
6. The term “humanitarian” - what interpretation will you choose?
A) Bookworm.
B) A gray-haired professor from a neighboring house.
B) Philology student.
D) A concept that came from Ancient Rome.
7. What do horror films mean to you?
A) Definitely rubbish, I don’t watch that stuff.
B) Video guide for maniacs.
Q) I like to watch it with friends, especially if there is beer.
D) I watch instead of “Good night, kids.”
8. How often do you give to those in need on the street?
A) Always, as soon as I see it.
B) As soon as I see him, I run across to the other side of the street.
Q) Are there such people? Never noticed.
D) Let them go to work, otherwise they will become insolent.
9. What is the most enjoyable thing for you?
A) Animals, they are such sweethearts.
B) Representatives of the opposite sex.
C) A new thing for your loved one.
D) Crochet.
10. What is aggression in your understanding?
A) Unconscious human behavior when solving problems.
B) This is how people are made.
C) Without aggression there is no progress.
D) Human stupidity.
Key
1. A-2 B-1 C-1 D- 4
2. A-3 B-2 C-4 D-1
3. A-2 B-2 C-3 D-0
4. A-3 B-1 C-0 D-4
5. A-1 B-0 C-2 D-4
6. A-2 B-2 C-2 D-3
7. A-2 B-3 C-0 D-1
8. A-0 B-1 C-4 D-2
9. A-1 B-0 C-2 D-3
10. A-1 B-0 C-2 D-0
0 to 10
You see the whole world in pink. Everything around is beautiful, and the people, like angels, are all in white clothes, and so sweet that even tears of tenderness well up in your eyes. And there is absolutely no reason not to love these adorable creatures. You are a true philanthropist.
From 10 to 20
You don’t have a choice of who to classify yourself as: misanthropes or philanthropists. You adequately assess reality, understanding that there are good and bad people. Your world has a little bit of everything - both white and black.
More than 20
Congratulations - you are a misanthrope, everything about people irritates you: the way they breathe, walk, buy groceries in the store, have fun on holidays. You would love to gather them all on one and send them to conquer distant galaxies, watching with a smile through a telescope as they fly further and further.
To understand who a misanthrope is, you need to pay attention to the words that make up this term. « Mizos" translated means “hatred,” anthropos"- Human. In other words, misanthrope and misanthrope are interchangeable synonyms.
Misanthropes hate all people, the entire human race. At the same time, they have an inherent desire to stand out from the crowd in every way. In this they are a bit like eccentrics. However, such similarity ends solely with external signs. After all, eccentrics simply want to stand out, while misanthropes are also filled with hatred.
It is necessary to distinguish between a misanthrope and a sociopath. Misanthropy subject to control(if the misanthrope has a desire for this). A sociopath experiences hostile feelings towards others like him as a result of mental disorders.
In appearance, the symptoms of these two phenomena are very similar, but fundamentally they have serious differences. Sociopaths have no sense of remorse, while misanthropes often feel sorry and empathize with others. The misanthrope feels hatred, but it is not a hindrance in order to continue to live in society, intersecting with their own kind.
If we consider sociopaths, everything is different for them. They are very dependent on impulses and urges. They perceive themselves as exemplary and judge others by themselves. However, sociopaths and misanthropes have one thing in common - feeling superior to others.
Misanthropy has nothing to do with mental disorders, but it can develop into psychopathy. In rare cases. If there are traits inherent in misanthropy, it is better for a person not to distort them, not to aggravate them, and not to go to extremes. After all, it is very beneficial to exist peacefully with your own kind.
In addition, in the modern world it is almost impossible to completely isolate yourself from people. Whatever one may say, there are almost no deserted islands left!
Among the characteristic features Misanthrope (or symptoms) can be identified as follows:
- The ability to be alone in a public place and the simultaneous fear of feeling that someone might disturb it. For example, just sit closer. And if this happens, the misanthrope continues to sit, sincerely hoping that the person will not decide to start a conversation. It is pleasant for a misanthrope to remain silent. He does not like to waste time on empty topics and phrases in order to maintain a conversation.
- Getting stuck somewhere with a stranger is a misanthrope's worst nightmare. And it can become even worse if the person also starts a conversation.
- Misanthropes prefer stay away from social networks. They tend not to pick up the phone the first time, and also not to call back. Ideally, they believe that the person himself will stop calling and certainly will not call back.
- Misanthropes have few friends. And all of them, as a rule, are also misanthropes. All the comrades of such people equally avoid society.
Among the misanthropes there are many interesting and famous people. For example, they were Kafka, Nietzsche, Swift and others. People become misanthropes in the process of constantly observing people's vices.
Particularly annoying qualities for them are considered to be human herd behavior, trust in each other, and actions in the “like everyone else” mode. Often the news that the media brings to us fuels hatred of their own kind and turns people into misanthropes. The best remedy against misanthropy is to try to love the world and admire it.
Misanthropes are very picky about their choices your social circle. Their friends usually include unearthly people with good intellectual abilities. Misanthropes have high demands on all the work they have to do.
They are no less demanding of others. Having no love for people, misanthropes often become very attached to animals. Misanthropes are irritated by their down-to-earth mentality, mistakes, and low level of development. They always count on themselves They know how to make decisions independently, and not wait for cues from the environment.
The seeds of misanthropy are inherent in people by nature. Each of us sometimes wants to be isolated from others, to get away from the crowd and be alone with our thoughts, and if this space is disturbed by others at such moments, they begin to irritate us.
The opposite of misanthropes are considered philanthropists. Such people are filled with faith in humanity, treat it tolerantly, and love people. In reality, there are no absolutely pure misanthropes or philanthropists.
Most often, every person constantly rushes between misanthropy and philanthropy, like a pendulum. Being committed to only one direction can turn your life into discomfort. Philanthropists are upset because they are unable to influence the world, and misanthropes are upset because of the shortcomings in the people around them.
In short, what a misanthrope is can be understood from what the term means in Greek. So, misos- hatred, anthropos- Human. That is, roughly speaking, we can say that a misanthrope is a misanthrope. Such a person sincerely hates the human race and tries in every possible way to stand out from the gray mass. Many will note that in this case, misanthropes are similar to eccentrics. But this similarity is only external, because the latter simply want to stand out in some way, and the former, in addition to this, hate their own kind.
What is the difference between a misanthrope and a sociopath?
The main difference between these two concepts is that misanthropy refers to a person that he is quite capable of controlling, if necessary, and the second is a mental disorder.
The symptoms for an outsider are sometimes similar, but still misanthropy is not a mental diagnosis.
The important thing is that a sociopath, for purely clinical reasons, most often lacks a conscience, while misanthropes may well experience feelings of regret, empathy, etc. Hatred of humanity does not prevent the misanthrope from coexisting normally with it.
At the same time, this cannot be said about sociopaths who are guided only by their sudden impulses and desires. It is by themselves that they judge the correctness of everything that is happening around them.
But the above does not mean at all that a misanthrope has little in common with a sociopath. Quite the contrary, both of these personality types consider themselves superior to other faceless people.
Signs of a misanthrope
Below are some symptoms that indicate you may be a misanthrope.
- You may be sitting alone in a public place and still be afraid that someone will approach you. And if someone does sit next to you, then you will continue to sit, intensely hoping that this person will not talk to you.
- It is much more pleasant for you to sit next to someone and be silent than to fill silent pauses with “empty” topics to keep the conversation going.
- There is nothing worse for you than being stuck in a confined space with a stranger. True, the situation can get much worse if this person also starts talking.
- You still haven't registered with . You don’t answer calls the first time, hoping that they won’t call back.
- You have few friends, and all of them, just like you, hate the people around them and try in every possible way to avoid any communication with them.
How to become a misanthrope?
Although this question is quite surprising, people still often ask it. You can start by simply reading the biographies and thoughts of famous misanthropes, which include Kafka, Nietzsche, Swift and others.
Next, start paying attention to how most people behave. Find their vices and shortcomings. Signs of herdism and the unconditional trust of the majority of people in the media, in itself, can cause the first signs of misanthropy.
Try to fall in love with this world and, most likely, you will not succeed. In this way, you can also develop the trait of disliking your fellow man.
The opposite of a misanthrope
The complete opposite of misanthropes are philanthropists. They believe in humanity with all their hearts and make constant attempts to help it in some way.
Most often, it turns out that a person, according to the principle of a pendulum, leans between these two directions. This is the most effective method of perceiving the world, since staunch adherents of one direction receive a lot of discomfort from their inclinations: misanthropes are constantly irritated by the shortcomings of the masses around them, and philanthropists are upset that they cannot change anything in this world.
Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Very fashionable today classify oneself into some psychological categories. On every corner, of course, they don’t shout about it, but many people think to themselves that, for example, “”, and this has already become the order of things (one can even be proud of it).
Or, for example, such a typical division according to the now fashionable principle “”. Of course, with all this we are driving ourselves into the framework of some concepts. For example, you love order - a perfectionist, you like to help people - or a philanthropist, you love silence and loneliness - an introvert. Continue the list yourself.
And just recently I came across a rather new concept for myself - misanthropy. It’s not that I haven’t heard of it or didn’t know about it, but I’ve just never applied it to myself. But sometimes I can be angry, aggressive, lash out at others - maybe I'm a misanthrope?
Although, of course, episodic outbursts of hatred towards people are not misanthropy. But what is it then and what kind of person can be confidently called a misanthrope? Let's figure it out together.
Who is a misanthrope
So, by definition misanthrope is a word that has Greek roots. It consists of two parts: mez - hatred and apropos - man. As a result we get that this is a man who hates people(all people, i.e. society as a whole). That’s it, the article is finished, we can leave :)
Moreover, this word is (the opposite of) the word we have already discussed earlier. See for yourself, for example, a philanthropist who sees a “stumbled” person (who is in trouble - poverty, illness, a streak of bad luck) will feel a desire to help him, but a misanthrope will only will move aside disgustedly, seeing another confirmation of his theory (the worthlessness of people).
But at the same time, it is not synonymous with the word “”. Why is “misanthropy” not the same as “social phobia”? Because the first is a certain psychological feature of a person (well, he doesn’t like people, so what?), but the second is, as they say, a diagnosis (uncontrollable fear of society). Yes, and comparison would be inappropriate due to the painful nature of the latter (in fact, this is a diagnosis, not a character trait),
A misanthrope is not afraid of people, like a social phobe, but simply feels towards them a feeling similar to disgust.
Also they should not be confused with introverts. The latter do not see anything bad in people and society as a whole. They just quickly get tired of communication and feel much better alone. These are self-sufficient people without any claims to others, except that they are not pestered too much (bored with empty talk).
Misanthropy is most often characterized by a person’s general hostility towards the entire society due to the imperfection of all its individual representatives (). In particular cases, this can be expressed in impartial statements towards others (if the person is an extrovert), or in the accumulation of internal irritation (typical of introverts).
Such people seem to oppose themselves to society, not wanting to come into contact with it. This bright individualists who do not want to play by the generally accepted rules (carry on a conversation, sit next to someone, be in a crowd). Sometimes extreme cases can be characterized by a fear of people (like a neat person who is afraid of getting dirty).
But this does not mean that misanthropes are lonely all their lives. Not at all. They tend to have a small circle of “trusted” people with whom they can communicate. Naturally, such people undergo a very careful selection to ensure that they have to a lesser extent those “shortcomings” that this particular “misanthrope” is fixated on.
But misanthropy does not does not apply to animals. Such people can love them even more than others do, probably due to the fact that there is a need to love.
Misanthropy is not always a permanent condition (from birth to death). For example, it is characteristic of many adolescents only during adolescence.
Although for some she can become a life philosophy, which a person will follow throughout his life or can change it under the influence of his accumulated experience, up to turning into a philanthropist.
Misanthropy and its causes
Strictly speaking, misanthropes' reluctance to adapt According to the rules of life on planet Earth, it should not be considered as a dangerous mental disorder, much less as a disease, although some mental disorders do have similar symptoms at some stages.
Remember how the song sings about the unwillingness to bend to a changing world (let it bend to us better). A person is free to lead in the way that is most convenient for him, as long as it does not interfere with others.
Although misanthropy encourages someone to actively express their negative opinion about others, as a rule, it does not go beyond words or an inadequate reaction (their gloating is often the equivalent of “well, I told you that you all ...”). .
Yes, such people (misanthropes) unpleasant to society, but it’s mutual. They don't even want to be loved. For example, a bear, when meeting a fellow bear, most often behaves like a true misanthrope. Among people there are also many bright individualists, like bears. Another thing is that there are more wolves among us (living according to the laws of the pack, i.e. living together) and they dictate behavior.
Where do the legs of misanthropy come from? and who is most likely to be affected (although it is not a disease, as I already said):
- Psychological traumas of childhood, as a result of which faith in everything human was lost. It could be violence in the family, at school, on the street. The wounds left after this do not heal for everyone and often lead to the fact that such a person generally begins to reject society, some of whose representatives caused him unbearable pain. It’s better to be alone, then no one will betray you.
- Again, reasons from childhood, but already related to shortcomings. They did not promptly and fully influence the life perception of the growing personality when she made a turn towards seeing the world through the prism of misanthropy. They didn’t straighten their brains, and then it was too late.
- Too high an intellect, which opens your eyes to the fact that there are only mediocrities and stupid people around. This, by the way, leads to the fact that many of the greatest philosophers and scientists were misanthropes. But what to do if you measure everyone by yourself, and no one can even hold a candle to you :)
By the way, all this is misanthropy can be selective:
- Misogyny - hatred directed only at women (misogyny)
- Misandry is a rejection of only men (all men are assholes, as this sounds familiar...)
- Misopedia is when children are not loved (cannot stand)
How to live with misanthropy?
As I already said, all this is not a disease in most cases. This is a specific psychotype and you can live with it quite normally, just minimize everything that pisses you off. Have less contact with people, for example, to avoid standing in traffic jams or taking the subway during rush hour.
Communicating with animals helps you relax and relieve stress. Remarkably calms and compensates for the forced lack of communication. Here you yourself will talk, and you will hear something thoughtful in response (even if it’s silence).
Besides, pure misanthrope are very rare. Just as it will be difficult for you to meet a refined perfectionist, a 100% introvert or an absolute extrovert, a choleric person or a phlegmatic person. As a rule, we are a mixture of everything, just in different proportions.
In any case, you don’t owe anyone anything, even if you are a harmful misanthrope who hates everyone in life. In the end, you should live with this and change only for the sake of those closest to you, or for yourself, if there is no one closer...
Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site
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You might be interested
Philanthropist - what kind of person is this and what is philanthropy 
Altruism - what is it and is it profitable to be an altruist? A social phobe is a person who loves solitude or a sick person suffering from social phobia What is empathy and is it good to be an empath? Frustration - how to find a way out of hopelessness?
Many people know that a philanthropist is the exact opposite of a misanthrope. However, this does not mean that a misanthrope is an unsociable and evil person. So who is a misanthrope? And what is a philanthropist? Find answers to these questions in the article...
What is a philanthropist?
A philanthropist is a person who sincerely loves all people and tries to help them. Philanthropists donate money to orphans and help build schools and medical facilities in underdeveloped countries. A philanthropist can express his love for people in different forms. Some donate small amounts of money to temples and the sick, while others invest huge amounts of money in the construction of special hospitals for the poor. In any case, the philanthropist is definitely a kind person.
However, there is a special group of bad people who are only trying to seem like philanthropists. For example, a reputation as a good philanthropist can bring more votes in elections and generally improve one's reputation. Some politicians like to show their kindness in this way during election periods.
And there are also those who engage in charity work in order to receive large incomes in the future. In general, a philanthropist with selfish goals is already a bad person. Therefore, it is very easy to distinguish a real philanthropist from deceivers. A true philanthropist will never advertise his activities, since he helps people not for the sake of fame and influence.
Philanthropists are needed by humanity. In this world filled with hatred, it is simply impossible sometimes without the help of a kind person. If a person is very poor, this does not necessarily mean that he is lazy; sometimes people who are simply unlucky in life need help (no one has canceled natural disasters and epidemics). Many people think that there are no real philanthropists left in Russia, but this is not so. You don't need to look far for an example. For example, in the city of Kazan, the famous Kul Sharif mosque was built with voluntary donations from people. As a result, 40,000 people donated an amount of 400 million rubles, which was enough for the construction of the mosque.
And not only Muslims donated money, since all people understood the importance of this building for the city (recreation of the legendary mosque of the 16th century). In the main building of the mosque there are now books with the names of those who made donations.
Who is a misanthrope?
A misanthrope is a person who does not love humanity. From a medical point of view, there are many nuances that make it possible to distinguish a real misanthrope from a person who wants to appear as such. The misanthrope hates not a specific person, but all of humanity. Moreover, he hates not the people themselves, but their negative qualities. And therefore, misanthropes, as a rule, hate these human shortcomings in themselves.
If a person openly declares that he is a misanthrope, then he is lying - he only wants to seem like one. This is especially noticeable in the behavior of teenagers who want to either attract attention to themselves or pass off their antisocial tendencies as personality traits. A true misanthrope is a person who does not show open hostility towards people. Such people, as a rule, are sociable and can easily make new acquaintances, but they do all this only from pragmatic views. If you ask a misanthrope how many friends he has, he will tell you one or two people. For a misanthrope, a friend is a person you can truly trust.
Many people incorrectly consider misanthropes to be evil, and the very fact of misanthropy as negative. The misanthrope does not wish people harm. Sometimes the misanthrope even wants to correct people from their shortcomings. However, the misanthrope still experiences antipathy towards people. This means that he can even abandon his real friends if they begin to display character traits that the misanthrope hates: a consumerist attitude to life, etc.
At the same time, the misanthrope is characterized by a contemptuous attitude towards laws. Those. such people skillfully balance between breaking/complying with laws. They understand that laws do not have to be followed, but that blatant disregard can lead to negative consequences. At the same time, the misanthrope does not consider himself better than others, but on the contrary, he hates himself for human weaknesses.
Just as there are many famous philanthropists, there are also many famous misanthropes. Among them are famous writers (Michel Thomas), actors (Bill Murray), artists (Trevor Brown), and philosophers (Machiavelli, Nietzsche).
Eventually…
Philanthropist and misanthrope are a little blurrier characteristics. Each of us has both love for our neighbor and hatred. Among philanthropists, it is sometimes difficult to single out the selfless philanthropists. And among misanthropes - to single out those who only want to appear as such. Ideally, it is necessary for this article to be written by several people: both philanthropists and misanthropes. However, you don't have to be a chef to criticize another chef for having bad food. Therefore, it is enough to remember something good in life, and a piece of a philanthropist will appear in you, and vice versa.
Thank you for your attention!
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