Misanthropy

[GenesisNemesis]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

mis·an·thrope
noun
a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.

Do you have to do both? I know of a guy up near Haines, Alaska, who avoids human society but likes people in small doses. Some of you may have seen him kiss a wolverine?

[vulcanlogician]

[Vera]

“You call me a misanthrope because I avoid society. You err; I love society. Yet in order not to hate people, I must avoid their company.”
Caspar David Friedrich

“The multiplication of our kind borders on the obscene; the duty to love them, on the preposterous.”
― Emil Cioran

The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace,
The prurient ape's defiling touch:
And do you like the human race?
No, not much.”
― Aldous Huxley

“I wish I loved the Human Race;
I wish I loved its silly face;
I wish I liked the way it walks;
I wish I liked the way it talks;
And when I’m introduced to one,
I wish I thought “What Jolly Fun!”
― Sir Walter Alexander Raleigh

“For me, to be human is, for the most part, to hate what I am. When I suddenly realize that I am one of them, I want to scream in horror.”
― Robert Crumb


“Nineteen twentieths of [mankind is] opaque and unenlightened. Intimacy with most people will make you acquainted with vices and errors and follies enough to make you despise them.”
― John Adams


Other species have lasted much much longer. *Without* being well on their way to making most other life forms extinct. Us surviving isn't what impresses me. Us getting into space and learning so much while simultaneously proudly boasting members of our species who shove lit flare up their asses and think there are aliens walking around wheat fields, making circles - *this* is what leaves me flabbergasted.

[vulcanlogician]

“For me, to be human is, for the most part, to hate what I am. When I suddenly realize that I am one of them, I want to scream in horror.”
― Robert Crumb

This one was my favorite. But the Huxley one was so good too.

[no one]

Humans are the absolute worst form of life on the planet!

I FUCKING HATE THEM!

[Thumpalumpacus]

We humans are animals just like any other. Singling out any species for love or hate seems pointless to me ... except roaches and mosquitoes.

[Dānu]

To hate what you are is to express a love for what you are not.

[Alan V]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

I don't trust emotions.  So hating (or loving) are too misleading to be accurate assessments from my point of view, except in more personal matters like choosing a meal at a restaurant.

However, I no longer have much hope for our immediate future.  We have some rough times to navigate ahead.

[vulcanlogician]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

I don't trust emotions.  So hating (or loving) are both too misleading to be accurate assessments from my point of view, except in more personal matters like choosing a meal at a restaurant.

However, I no longer have much hope for our immediate future.  We have some rough times to navigate ahead.

Since you decided to weigh in on the issue, lemmie ask: Was Thoreau a misanthrope or not? (I think he was, and beautifully so.) But what do you think?

[Alan V]

I don't trust emotions.  So hating (or loving) are both too misleading to be accurate assessments from my point of view, except in more personal matters like choosing a meal at a restaurant.

However, I no longer have much hope for our immediate future.  We have some rough times to navigate ahead.

Since you decided to weigh in on the issue, lemmie ask: Was Thoreau a misanthrope or not? (I think he was, and beautifully so.) But what do you think?

I think Thoreau was an idealist who expected too much from himself and others.  So he didn't dislike people per se, and in fact was a great friend, brother, and worker. 

He simply preferred the natural world, where he could get away from everything else.

[vulcanlogician]

I don't trust emotions.  So hating (or loving) are both too misleading to be accurate assessments from my point of view, except in more personal matters like choosing a meal at a restaurant.

However, I no longer have much hope for our immediate future.  We have some rough times to navigate ahead.

Since you decided to weigh in on the issue, lemmie ask: Was Thoreau a misanthrope or not? (I think he was, and beautifully so.) But what do you think?

I think Thoreau was an idealist who expected too much from himself and others.  So he didn't dislike people per se, and in fact was a great friend, brother, and worker. 

He simply preferred the natural world, where he could get away from everything else.

counterpoint:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation."

He didn't expect too much of people. He reasoned that the greater structure of human sociality demanded too much of us. So much as to render us inert.

Did he really expect too much of himself? Nah. He was no ascetic.

He was rather an indulgent person... who argued that the greatest ecstasy was to be found in nature.

So, I disagree that he expected too much of people or himself. He didn't "withdraw from" anything. He fled into nature. Because he saw that society is a sinking ship. But not the Earth... not the natural environment. That was continually renewed and kept living.

He was an idealist though. Agreed on that. A remarkable idealist.

[julep]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

No.  But also: no.

[Alan V]

Since you decided to weigh in on the issue, lemmie ask: Was Thoreau a misanthrope or not? (I think he was, and beautifully so.) But what do you think?

I think Thoreau was an idealist who expected too much from himself and others.  So he didn't dislike people per se, and in fact was a great friend, brother, and worker. 

He simply preferred the natural world, where he could get away from everything else.

counterpoint:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation."

He didn't expect too much of people. He reasoned that the greater structure of human sociality demanded too much of us. So much as to render us inert.

Did he really expect too much of himself? Nah. He was no ascetic.

He was rather an indulgent person... who argued that the greatest ecstasy was to be found in nature.

So, I disagree that he expected too much of people or himself. He didn't "withdraw from" anything. He fled into nature. Because he saw that society is a sinking ship. But not the Earth... not the natural environment. That was continually renewed and kept living.

He was an idealist though. Agreed on that. A remarkable idealist.

Thoreau did not like the state of the world around him, but thought he understood the best way to improve it.  So he led by example, and that example was to work less and value the natural world -- as it already was -- much more.  Had he been less of a contrarian in the way he expressed himself, what he wrote might have been better received.  Even then, his message in Walden was very optimistic about what was possible. He had great hopes for humanity.

He only lived to the age of 44, so that curtailed his endeavors as well.

Thoreau tried to be an ascetic, temporarily, when he resided at Walden.  But he lived most of his life rather ordinarily for his time in his family home.  He valued his freedom and nature over the world of men and any possible ambition within that world.

[Thumpalumpacus]

He didn't "withdraw from" anything. He fled into nature.

It could be argued that the only difference between the two are the speed of the retreats. Flight is, after all, a withdrawal made at haste.

It took me forty-five years to retreat (is that withdrawal, or flight?) from urban life.

[c172]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

Some humans deserve hate. Others deserve admiration. Most are somewhere in the middle. A great deed here, a horrible act there. 

We have indeed survived a hell of a lot. I really don't think we're headed toward a WW III or some natural tragedy that destroys us all in our lifetime. I do think that the human race will, in later generations, need to deal with their own COVIDs, Chernobyls, wars, detrimental weather patterns and otherwise, and it will slowly devolve humankind, as well as slowly cause a population decline. Quality of life will continue to gradually deplete. 

But a whole species doesn't deserve hate, be it us or be it tarantulas, gympie gympie trees or death caps.

[GenesisNemesis]

Do humans deserve to be hated? Does the human race "deserve a second chance"? Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

Some humans deserve hate. Others deserve admiration. Most are somewhere in the middle. A great deed here, a horrible act there. 

We have indeed survived a hell of a lot. I really don't think we're headed toward a WW III or some natural tragedy that destroys us all in our lifetime. I do think that the human race will, in later generations, need to deal with their own COVIDs, Chernobyls, wars, detrimental weather patterns and otherwise, and it will slowly devolve humankind, as well as slowly cause a population decline. Quality of life will continue to gradually deplete. 

But a whole species doesn't deserve hate, be it us or be it tarantulas, gympie gympie trees or death caps.

Ok but what about sea lampreys? 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Some humans deserve hate. Others deserve admiration. Most are somewhere in the middle. A great deed here, a horrible act there. 

As you imply, with most folks, their good deeds are indeed admirable, and from the same folks, their bad deeds are excrescent. And sometimes it's all in the same day.

I believe we all possess the same capability for good or for evil, inside the same personality.

[no one]

Persons are tolerable, humans suck.

[Dom]

I don't hate humans, but I prefer dogs, cats and birds and probably many other types of animals. Humans are some of the "worse" animals. During my hormonal time, I sought out humans and preferred cities. Now I like nature and companion animals. If I socialize, I do so one human at a time. Some I like, some I don't.

[Szuchow]

Humans may not deserve to be hated but neither they are particularly admirable. I certainly do not have any positive feelings toward humanity as a gestalt nor I am worried by possibility of this species going extinct.

[c172]

Some humans deserve hate. Others deserve admiration. Most are somewhere in the middle. A great deed here, a horrible act there. 

As you imply, with most folks, their good deeds are indeed admirable, and from the same folks, their bad deeds are excrescent.  And sometimes it's all in the same day.

I believe we all possess the same capability for good or for evil, inside the same personality.

Yup, I'd say that's true. It's about how that capability is used.

[eider]

Do humans deserve to be hated?

Yes

Does the human race "deserve a second chance"?

After a World-Wide Trauma, then 'yes'.........  but we will only forget, all over again.

Personally, I am actually to some degree impressed with the survival of humanity so far, seeing as we have survived two world wars, and for now haven't had a third one yet. But what we are continuing to do to our world without any change in our behaviors is also making me less impressed and it likely will all be for nought. What say you?

It's out of our hands, methinks. 
Nature is the guv'nor around here and Nature will sort it all out..... I don't think we'll get the chance to do much about ourselves or our home...... but Nature just might let some of us through to the next era. Maybe.

[GenesisNemesis]

Yes

Why? Do you hate people who are working on curing/treating infectious diseases too?

[Minimalist]

Depends on their motivations, doesn't it?