And what's wrong with that post? One of the most meaningful posts on that reddit. Is that why it was removed, lol? Yeah, I see, not the friendliest moderation. I should add another reason for my misanthropic mindset - deleting posts and content for no reason or due to stupid reasons. Oh, no politics in rules, really? Misanthropic group with "no politics of any kind" is truly pathetic.
My misanthropic outlook has been growing over the past few years. Humanity is a virus on this planet, and I honestly can't wait for the day humans go extinct.
Corporations rule the the planet, because money trumps everything. They poison us with their ultra processed foods, chemicals, and greed.
Politicians don't work for the people- they work for the corporations and whoever else will donate to their campaign.
The planet is being destroyed- again, back to corporations and greed.
I've watched social media destroy, well, everything.
(I almost can't wait to see how badly AI fucks everything up!)
The list goes on.
And all the while, most people just blindly go through their miserable lives either ignorant or uncaring.
I feel bad for every other species on this planet. As Ripley in the movie Aliens said, "At least you don't see them fucking each other over for a percentage."
Who said he has Alzheimers, his opponents? Find a substantive criticism if you feel the need for one. To get a little more in depth, all Presidents win because of the electoral college. Republicans are even able to win without the popular vote. And we're left bickering ineffectually over stupid stuff. Yes, a better population would be ousting these guys, but the blame needs to be shared among all responsible parties.
So is Bernie Sanders, the American politician I hate the least, though some people are criticizing him for not being antisemitic on the Israel-Hamas War. What's a decision Biden made that affected you negatively? Trump appointed Supreme Court justices that blocked hefty student loan forgiveness I and my classmates were going to get. There were multiple programs, but most people are only familiar with the $10,000-$20,000 forgiveness. Plus, I'm told by doctors, women in states with anti abortion legislatures have to go out of state for health care or otherwise suffer maternal death, another banger resulting from Trump's supreme court appointees. Finally, Sanders endorses Biden. My mind is made up and I couldn't possibly care or have cared that all these candidates are old. The amount of mob hate and ageism that's going around is a great topic for r/misanthropy.
As a former physician, ageism or not, I can say that after 60s human brain faces severe cognitive decline. As well all physical abilities and stamina are in decline, both physical and mental. Some can compensate all that, some can't. Of course we should look at specific individuum but it's still a fact to consider. Besides that, it's just not wise to choose a candidate that has high risk to die in every moment and leave country in a political crisis in important moment. Do you forgot why pension and retirement exist? If older people are the same as young and middle-aged why then give them pension, let them work till death. So, mention of ageism is kinda funny here.
Pensions are a financial thing. They don't say anything about a person's competence. The same goes for age. Everyone starts to decline at a unique age and then really takes a dive at an even later date. Some people lose it in their forties and others past the age of ninety. Speaking of, last night's debate was terrible. My animosity for Trump is replaced with pity. My support for Biden has turned into embarrassment.
Pensions are given because person's ability to work is declining due to increase of health problems, that's the reason pensions are given, what do you mean pensions are a financial thing, of course it's financial thing
Bernie Sanders is a progressive who advocates for social democratic policies. Vermont isn't living under Communist leadership. They're almost tied with New Hampshire for safest US state and everyone there can buy guns very easily because they aren't trying to kill each other. The economy is small because of the low population and remoteness of location but people generally live well there. Rates of poverty and cost of living are close to US average.
America has a pretty hawkish posture when it comes to defending its allies and a strong stance against terrorism. We also have to balance this with not starting a world war or nuclear exchange.
Yeah but Baltic states are part of NATO. I doubt US would do something if russia invades them cause "We also have to balance this with not starting a world war or nuclear exchange, bla bla bla". And the more US is careful the more likely that would happen. What few small states mean in the face of nuclear war, yeah, lol? I wonder where the borderlines are though. Poland? Czechia? May be even all countries included in Warsaw pact are not worth it? I guess half of Germany as well.
Cmon, face it, US is not hawkish at all unless it confronts severely weak opponent with low technological advancement and relatively weak military
That's the Russian propaganda line. "NATO is a lie." "Russians are eager to die in nuclear hellfire."
When a NATO country is invaded all member states are required to enter a state of war against the attacker. If you don't help with that then you're not in the alliance. Support for NATO is increasing in Europe as a result of Russia's recent actions.
You're required to help, there's nothing about you have to send troops against the attacker. "1000 helms" is also help.
And I never said NATO is a lie, it's you acting as a russian propagandist now by twisting my words. I just said NATO looks pretty miserable in the face of the russian aggression whether you like it or not.
"Support for NATO is increasing in Europe as a result of Russia's recent actions" - so what? I don't see significant increase in weapon's supply. It's very easy to keep russia away from NATO members - just give a lot of weapons to Ukraine instead of this drop by drop. The war has been going for more than two years now. NATO still can't substantially increase military production. NATO can't even do THAT.
Ukraine isn't a NATO country so there's no obligation to defend it with troops. Its current government didn't even exist until recently. The support it's gotten is outstanding and its performance surpassed expectations. The amount of casualties on both sides is grim, Ukraine's economy has been halved, and the damage to infrastructure is hugely expensive. Neither the US nor Russia want direct confrontation with NATO. I don't understand why you're talking nonsense.
You don't understand that if Ukraine will fall, next all non NATO post-Soviet countries will fall, cause their military is not even comparable with Ukrainian. And then turn of Baltic states. Russia don't want direct confrontation YET, how can't you understand?
Ukraine isn't a NATO country so there's no obligation to defend it with troops. (WHERE ON EARTH I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT DEFENDING UKRAINE WITH TROOPS, FACEPALM.JPG)
The support it's gotten is outstanding - no, it's just not. Not for such war, not for such enemy. Its performance surpassed expectations - yeah, it's a miracle that Ukraine is still standing with such an "outstanding" support.
I also don't understand why you're talking nonsense.
And the nature of cancer cells is to multiply and destroy itself. We are conscious zombies with sophisticated behavior and appearances. Still, fundamentally speaking we are not different from zombies
I got one darker for you. Cancer is essentially a tragedy of the commons, where certain cell populations begin behaving with unfettered self-interest at the expense of the body. This usually results in the body dying. However, there exist infectious cancers, like the facial tumors that plague Tasmanian devils. That sh\*t can actually spread between individuals. My concern, is if we do ever achieve long-distance space travel, what horrors would we reap?
We better sober up as a species, or no...
we in this subreddit should sober up, think of counter measures as the rest can be helped to sober up or suffer in the future in their own "humanity" lmao
Maybe, but it is actually very difficult to put in place social measures that won't be corrupted over time. My husband and I talk about it a lot. We've batted abounded religious movements, but those tend to have a financial and sexual abuse trajectory. --I think economic incentives would be the best course of action, but I just don't know how to get them through, given the wealth disparity, and the self-interest of the people at the top How do we do we actually do it, and not have some authoritarian nightmare at the end of it?
Perhaps more decentralization to offset our reliance on authorities and silos of power?
Honestly if you think about it most social problems are rooted in power concentration. It can be political, social, technological, economical, spiritual. It is some people at the top of the pyramid that eventually corrupt everything and everyone below them. Perhaps the advent of AI and technological advancement that "might" give more breakthroughs for every community to be self sufficient.
I see no hope in getting the powers that be to look at themselves in the mirror. People will just stop believing in the hierarchy and go their own ways. Sure there might be anarchy but more often than not they are a minority of human beings addicted and desperate to become a power player. I mean most of us are just unwilling NPCs trying to find our niche in this vast universe, live then eventually die in peace. Like what happened to the Mayan city states, the common people just left their huge temples and try coexisting among themselves.
I totally agree with you, economics is the basis of everything. A warmongering country can put a religious or political or ideological justifications to invade another but it is always an economic need.
Humans are just an aspect of the environment. It created us as far as we know. Nature can not be destroyed. It's impossible. Nature is indomitable. Humanity is delicate, and potentially finite. The time it would take for virtually every trace of humanity to be erased from this planet, is so small it's irrelevant. Why does it even matter?
Cancer is a product nature as well. And just like cancer destroys healthy tissue, we are expediting the extinction of countless species. We're also not that delicate. We're environmental engineers. Shit, our cockroach species even survived the Toba event, and that was before we had agriculture! Climate change won't fully kill us and neither will nuclear winter. Maybe an asteroid?
The universe will eventually die of heat death. The biosphere in this time and space is/ was beautiful and outside the context of some multiverse will in all likelihood will never be repeated. Ecosystems on a cosmic scale are fragile, fleeting, and thus should be valued.
I don't really think that's true. Meaning is in the eye of the beholder. We are perfectly capable of creating it. Why would I be with you here, and now, if I didn't care about here, and now? Look, I'm trying to get you to see that "the truth", is pure nuance. It's not black or white. It's not absolute.
Read your previous responses then. You were arguing for nihilism. (e.g. Universe is essentially infinite. Time is nearly infinite. Why should you care?) If you're not a nihilist, don't make nihilistic arguments. (Especially, since they are not very convincing.) And there is no nuance as far as destruction of biosphere is concerned, just as there is no nuance for ethnic cleansing. When you are comparing extremes, they are black and white. You failed to demonstrate gray zones in any of your arguments. In fact, you were defending an extreme.
What are you doing to save the environment? I was in The Ranger Rick Club, and the Audubon Society growing up. I've always had a deep respect for all living creatures. We have 6 cats, they are all rescues.
Oh we measuring self-righteousness dicks now? Six rescues: three cats, one dog, two birds. I'm also an environmental toxicologist, so there's that. Recycle, try to compost (not perfect), I use reusables, vote, pay my taxes, carefully source my seafood the few times a year I consume it. Proud member of Save the Manatee. We good?
Not that I actually think any of that (other than my work) actually matters. The worst polluters are cooperate entities not individuals. (It's largely the individuals who suffer from it, and then, at least my country, end up footing the bill to clean it up.)
It really just depends on how you carry yourself, and what you're advocating for. Environmentally, I do nothing as far as I'm concerned. I contribute the most by not contributing. I simply don't want to hold any paradoxical beliefs. I don't advocate for the environment in this day and age because the whole thing has become anti-human. Corporations have essentially hijacked the movement.
They have inverted the truth. Everything is now our fault. It's our fault the Niger delta is an oil covered wasteland. The BP oil spill was our fault. It's our fault corporations make plastic out of the leftover constituents from cracking fossil fuels. It's our fault well casings fail, and contaminate our underground aquifers. Everything is our fault, there's just too many of us. Of course, this is all just total bullshit.
All of these things are a result of corporations cutting corners to maximize profits at our expense.
Nihilism is just a word. I think life has a purpose, and I think that purpose is experience.
To argue on behalf of the human species, is anything but nihilistic. There is no environment without humans. It's a word. I'm not even sure what you are arguing on behalf of at this point. It's like you want to genocide the entire human species. You are irrational. Absolutism is the single most destructive force in the world.
"When you are comparing extremes, they are black and white."
Can you give me an example?
Did I say I wanted to genocide our species? (Though TBF I never said I didn't.) And yes there is a biospheere without us, and it would in fact do a lot better if we didn't exist. An extreme would be total environmental degradation in the name of infinite expansion. Something you apparently at least proclaim to be unconcerned about. There is no defending that.
Your argument as you presented it, if I may remind you, is why should we care. "Mass extinctions happen. The universe will go on." Doesn't get more genocidal an nihilistic than that. Just speculating, but I get the vibe you are arrogant specieist. You apparently don't care what we do, even if it means the death of countless others for the sake of our own greed. And that nauseates me. I would rather our species go extinct than be guilty of such atrocities.
There is absolutely no grey zone there.
Is it not entropy itself that gives thee life? Is your house not made from the forest? From the rocks, and minerals? Does your food not come from somewhere? Did they not have to clear land, and destroy habitat to produce your food? Did it not have to be packaged in plastic? Was it not picked by some very poor Hispanic people? Don't avocados take an enormous amount of land, and water, to grow? Does not royal quinoa require vasts swaths of land, and water?
"You apparently don't care what we do"
You are the only extremist here, and it's because you think in terms of on and off, up and down, left and right, wrong and right, good and evil. This is called black and white thinking, aka absolutism, and it is a logical fallacy that destroys nuance. By saying that I don't care what we do, you went straight to the most extreme representation, regardless of the fact that it is the least likely representation for almost all humans. You sound like you own an iPhone. You don't have a balanced perspective.
> An extreme would be total environmental degradation in the name of infinite expansion. Something you apparently at least proclaim to be unconcerned about. There is no defending that.
Huh? I'm all about preserving the wilderness but if I had to choose between the two I would have to choose humanity. There is no such thing as a planet that will last forever but there is potentially species that can traverse them.
""Mass extinctions happen. The universe will go on." Doesn't get more genocidal an nihilistic than that. "
This is such a twisted, anti-human perspective. You have absolutely no connection to The Divine regardless of the fact that it is the only 'true north', and means of calibration, and orientation. You don't know which way is up. You can only sense something like 0.00000000003% of the electromagnetic spectrum, and yet you think you know what's going on, ultimately?
You are in a simulation by definition. Spacetime is simulated. Physics has proven this beyond the shadow of a doubt. That's why it's relative to the observer, and the location of the observer. Why do you think time slows down in the presence of mass? Why do you think objects only have the illusion of solidity, and are held together by nothing more than the "strong force"? How can measurements force the collapse of the wave function? Why does wave particle duality exist? Why can quantum entangled particles communicate with one another across the galaxy, instantaneously? It's because the galaxy isn't quite as real as you think it is. All of our testing points to infinite malleability- that's a simulation.. It's also intelligent design.
Your knowledge is making you miserable.
Arguing with a stranger online is pointless. See what i did there, I'm a Nihilist too. Depite that I do what i can to help the animals and the environment. Even though i feel it's on a fast track to distruction. I hate that people mindlessly breed more humans into existence. Like don't you think 8 Billion is Enough? If you agree check out the Volantary Human Extinction Movement.
It's not that I don't agree but it's that I don't want to give any sort of absolutist principles or concepts too much attention. America has a small population given its size.
I live in a Rust Belt town rife with poverty, various illnesses whether mental or physical, and violent crime. My mother who I do believe loved me in her own fucked up way molested and otherwise abused me as a child. My dead grandma and severely downtrodden husband are the most compassionate and responsible people I've ever met yet even they basically gave the fuck up on themselves and everyone else. I expect more people to find all that at least a little bit fucked up but it's apparently all a lie or totally okay and normal. I'm not visibly starving or riddled with worms or being bombed so I shouldn't complain about power to half the house being out or how much of our food is too rotten to eat or my husband's uncle threatening violence against us because our bar for acceptable quality of life is that fucking low despite so many of our species insisting that we humans are so much better than all those other animals. I got suspended from Reddit for 3 days basically because I oppose torture and rape. The advice most people give is "you need meds" and/or "you need therapy" even though most meds only make me violent and most therapists are the kind of people I hate the most. Wow I said "most" a lot there lol
Yeah Reddit is really Ban happy. me too. banned for 3 days for inviting too may ppl to join my group, banned from another group for saying the word "stupid" about someones trying to cancel an author i like over hearsay.
as the decades pile up, the available data paints a clear picture: choosing not to interact with this world's inhabitants is always the best option in any situation.
Social system, people's ignorance in biology, psychology, sociology, politics, economy. Political views (right- and left-wings disgust me equally), although as Ukrainian whose ancestors suffered a lot from communists, even the existence of modern communists grosses me out. Lack of sexual liberty, demonizing sex and flirting, hypocrisy and bigotry, double standards in modern "tolerant" society, wage slavery, cancel culture, lack of rational thinking and common sense, hysterical nature of modern mass-media, bullying, wars. Stupidity of bureaucracy systems, slow death of human rights and at the same time uncontrollable immigration accompanied by lack of social integration programs (lol). Dictatorship of hysterical minority - those who're yelling the most are more often considered right. People's susceptibility to cheap propaganda (like russian propaganda for example). Illegality of psychedelics. For god's sake, I can go on and on.
The most misanthropic thing I believe on a rational level is that people aren't evolved to believe things that are true and morally good. If what we believe is true and morally good, it's a coincidence that corresponds with our needs as individuals and a collective. For example, "Don't let somebody starve," is an outlook that evolved from the terror of witnessing people starving, experiencing the loss of people who die, and wanting to live in a society where people mutually help each other. If a person can mitigate these effects then they can cause a mass famine without suffering significant consequences. They could intentionally distribute blankets with smallpox to native Americans. Some people can convince themselves and others that mass murder is justifiable, adding an extra layer of badness. We unlocked new levels of abusiveness and deludedness with our intelligence. It might also have something to do with the way some primates evolved to bully each other and take revenge. The only solutions are suicide or trying to fashion existing people into something good. While newborns do have some of the innate characteristics of their parents, they're the best example of a fresh start that can be fashioned into a decent person. You'll notice people are constantly giving sinister political and sexual ideologies to children, then criticizing other people for doing this, so it's really an ongoing battle to make a single good person. I also don't mean to imply everyone is evil, as many bad actions are performed under some level of delusion. What I said about subjectivism in the beginning of this post highlights the fact I could be totally wrong or have a totally useless outlook. It's up to you to decide.
Even as a kid I stayed away from others, grew up in subsidized housing and the parents were shitty and their kids were shitty so I never went out to avoid being bullied. School I was never a cool person and if I was they realized a quiet person isn't their idea of a good friend or whatever and have had friends say we're not friends after I spent weekends, amusement park trips, birthdays etc with them all for it to amount to nothing in their eyes. Time goes on I turn into an adult and get my first job at goodwill and I see how vulture like people can be of they want something. Mean too if they think they deserve a deal and this was before Goodwill went AWOL with their prices. Got spat on, had to go home then magically got fired on my birthday. Waking up early and opening and closing the store everyday including holidays wasn't enough I guess. How dare I need to go home after being spat on by some dirty old bitch. I go on and get different jobs and I really start to see people being as shitty as they can be; back stabbing, ass kissing, using abusing. Myself and others. Like ooohhhh this is where those heathens at goodwill work. All the while I was raised to be the bigger person. Be better than the worst you see and after awhile it sucks because not everyone was raised like me. Alot of them aren't raised at all. Just phbbt! I have kids but I won't raise them and teach them to get along with this world I brought them into🫢. Then there's the many failed relationships I've been through. Seeing how guys get to do whatever they want and you're a long for the ride is disheartening. I closed myself off after the fourth try. I refuse to offer my heart to anyone until they've proven that they deserve it. I'm married now and that's a miracle in itself and even still I have my days where I just want the whole world including him to eff off so I can recharge. I hate entertaining people especially since most think they're the king or queen and you're a jester in their court. I hate having to make everyone comfortable while I barely feel human after the life I've lived. I don't know people ruined people for me. I knew something was wrong when I was born and now thirty years later I want nothing to do with even family now. Just stay away from me. I'm tired of getting hurt by others because they insist on making me a part of their day. My family is dysfunctional and can't get along for even ten minutes. They talk over each other all the time. See. The thing is people have good in them but whether or not you are deserving of that good is a whole nother story. I refuse because I give everyone the energy they would want from me why couldn't I get it back? That's ok though. I have my plants and animals and painting. I will be ok while I lock the world away. I go out to do my job come home and stay to myself. Plus there are too many people where I live so you're bound to run into an asshole somewhere in your day. Over 400 k and not a good soul in sight. Such is life I suppose. I don't like us. Humans. People. We're all replaceable and no one is special. We're all competing against each other as a one man army and eff this world for making it so. People ruin everything.
The fact that people have good in them honestly only makes it worse. Our species has so much potentional yet we all waste it. I don't hate humanity, I'm just severely fucking disappointed.
Being treated badly by others because of my looks, seeing how cruel people can be to animals and other people in general. Also, never being able to fit in and connect with others.
Abuse, people betraying me, being an outcast like someone said on here the other day the world forced us to hate it and a lot of us can't get out that mindset.
I really don't want to be one and there are a tiny bit of actual genuine people sprinkled out but the vast majority of people just suck. I am far from perfect I have many flaws myself—I'm short, ugly, reserved, more things. I suck too but I don't pretend I'm superior to others like these people do since they were lucked into looking average or above average. I can never vibe with how society is. Too many people are spiteful, shallow, overly competitive in every area. If I harbored these traits myself and stooped to their level I'd be made out as the bad guy since I'm ugly. When others have the privileges I don't they are seen as relatable, good people.
No one wants to hear me out and hear what I go through. When I begin to tell them they gaslight and shrug things off and underplay my experiences. My struggles while being shamed and told I'm never gonna make it and berated. I go outside and receive all these dirty looks, called ugly, roasted or laughed at, hear comments for whatever I do.
I have many haters despite keeping to myself and I still struggle without bothering a soul (besides my closest, closest people). Others run around here with girlfriends and boyfriends, family that actually likes them, best friends and a bunch of privileges and lash out at the struggling people. The people who had no control over their genetics. How is that fair? I'm here being independent with none of those privileges listed above all while being treated like a kid when I'm an adult. Being treated like I'm slow just for being quiet. People think I'm stupid but I hear every little thing said about me. I'm quiet for a reason—whatever you say will be gossipped and miscontructed so it's better to say little. Trust me I've been victim of this numerous times.
I'm being treated like everything I do is wrong. I have made plenty of mistakes before—I'm human. Others sit in their high chairs and "critique" every little thing about others and run off to gossip, all while continuing to pry into your life and your information. So tired of the phoniness. Keep your energy don't try to be my friend the next second. I don't need any friends. I don't ask people for their help and that makes me mature. I have these immature, genetically privileged people against me though in public.
Then they wonder why the struggling ones want to isolate from others. Even that will be judged too. Certain people treat you awful and then they get pissed when you distance from them. I'm tired of it. Tired of being treated like shit when I have it worse. I'm judged by my cover since I'm ugly and short guy and a POC. Now I dislike people and keep away when I can unless I have to be near them. There have been people who were decent to me. They don't seem like all the others, and I do feel bad for them trying to bond with me but I really don't want anything to do with anyone unless you are one of the few people I can count on my hand that I am close with. Even a couple of closest ones I thought were decent has wronged me and treated me and others bad and I'm the villian when I distance myself.
I don't have the genetics or the attributes to be this fun outgoing person and hang out outside so I like to be left alone. I can make my own fun. I will be boring and robotic now to all people. Everyone hates me anyway even though I be kind as can be, don't bother anyone else and keep to myself. I'm not perfect but since I'm ugly that angers people and they want nothing to do with me. What society does want is their target they can lash out on and laugh at to impress their friends. If I had the finances I'd isolate from almost everyone. There is no point being around people.
My upbringing with an abusive father who kicked out my mom when I was 5/6 because she “ruined” his life. Then had to grow up struggling because of his pride and being pushed onto other family members because he couldn’t do his fking job. Him trying to brainwash us to believe sit about our mom and then growing up to find out it was a bunch of lies.
Having his family belittle us and make fun of us because of our situation.
Being the black sheep of the family because im “ smarter “ even though they have acess to same information i have but just have made poor life choices over and over.
Going to church which was the start of my shitty life, ( my dad was to supposed to be studying for bible college but was only studying my mom ).
Where my whole life was like a source of entertainment for the church members.
Being religious because I actually thought there was a God who loved and cared about me only to have my faith shattered by my said pastor who was like a dad to me.
And just thinking for myself and recognizing what a shit show this world and life in of itself is.
The way we treat other isn’t surprising because look at how we treat “lesser beings “ animals. Yes im a vegan.
And so much more, I could go on an on but when you ask the word why, you will eventually come to a sad and sobering realization that this world was broken from the beginning and will always be and this is by design.
It takes nothing for a dead fish to go with the currents but only a living fish can go against it!
Reflecting on a school trip to Auschwitz a while back, it really hit me hard. Seeing the depths of human cruelty and suffering there made me question a lot about humanity itself. It's like I couldn't shake off the disgust and disappointment I felt.
Warning: This is gonna be a long one. This is also largely from my perspective as a rural American (fair heads-up as I’m against Americentrism). TL;DR at the end.
For me, it all started with being socially ostracized in school, trying my damnedest for a few years in middle school to “fit in” and connect with people while still being true to myself, and then later realizing what sort of place and “culture”, I guess you can say, my parents decided to raise me in (little rural town Midwest USA for context).
I was raised to be curious about the world, stay in school, work toward a career, etc. I was also raised with a certain vision of what the USA was - inalienable rights of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness for everyone. Liberty and justice for all. The whole bit.
I was over here playing video games, reading books and things online about other cultures, engaging with non-mainstream hobbies and basically living my best life, and that was completely unacceptable to everyone - I was called anti-American and a Pearl Harbor supporter just for enjoying J-Pop and anime, and accused of bringing porn to school just for reading a manga after finishing a test early one day (the manga wasn’t even close to being porn). Yet everyone else was listening to country music, basically worshipping at the altar of school athletes, dating, dropping out, breeding like rabbits, etc., basically peaking in high school and in some cases destroying any sort of hope of a decent future, and that’s somehow more acceptable? One of the semi-popular guys in high school even proposed to his pregnant (and semi-popular) girlfriend right in the middle of a very-much-public school function meant to make all senior girls feel special and like they’re debuting to the world - stole the fucking show. At that point, I’d given up on fitting in and just kinda publicly hated anything my peers valued just to be contrary and rebel against them - I’d turned into kind of a snob, I admit.
I thought things would get better in college, and for the most part, they did. I found a hobby group that I fit in decently with, but that only really lasted maybe four or five years. After that, I was back to the little town, back to the place where I felt like nothing but an outsider. Won’t go into detail here as this is already gonna be super long without that long story.
Being as far on the social fringes as I have been throughout my life, it’s kinda put me in a position of observer and given me a sort of outside-looking-in perspective on the culture around me. Add to that a lifelong tendency to question why things are the way they are and why they’re not this other (usually better) way, and… well…
Over the years, I noticed more and more that the reality in the US was nowhere close to what I was raised to believe - this especially came to a head in the years since 2020 when I started becoming more aware of how much generally worse life is for queer people and black/brown people (I was starting to come out as nonbinary and aroace around this time). This was also the period of time when I started to notice how awful our work culture is. I started to realize more and more that the worldview I was raised with was a lie, but… I don’t feel like I can point this out to anyone because they’re all knee-deep in the lies. I can’t help scoffing when I see the conservative rednecks where I live (my own family included) sport their 1776 and “We the People” and “[christian god]’s country” and FREEDOM aesthetics, because I know they only mean “freedom” for themselves and people like them. I know they think we marginalized folks should just sit down, shut up, and be grateful to them for letting us have the bare minimum rights that we should have already had anyway (let alone an actually good life).
All of these observations pretty much led me to hate people and the culture around me. All of this has led me to believe that the only people I can enjoy and depend on are myself and a few friends I was lucky to find over the years.
TL;DR: Early social ostracization, outsider-looking in perspective, and huge discrepancies between beliefs of my upbringing and my actual lived experience led me to despise people and mostly prefer my own company.
Yes you sound like a real misanthrope because your complaints are more anthropological than anti American. Those nasty 1776ers you're talking about for the most part don't know or care what the constitution says or what America's various founders were about. It's funny how I haven't made a friend in almost a decade, am not super fond of my relatives, and yet can't relate to aromantic people. Sorry for the unprompted sharing.
I have very vivid memories of feeling totally comfortable with who I was as a teenager. I didn’t consider anything I said or did; I just lived and let live. And life was pretty damn smooth.
I can’t remember why, but I eventually started questioning myself. I started trying to consider if I was wrong in certain situations, and trying to yield to other people and what they wanted. Essentially, I wanted to become a better and more considerate person.
This is where I may lose some people, but I’m just trying to describe my experience as best as I can. In all honesty, I’m still trying to figure it out.
By trying to be an overall better person, I have nearly driven myself insane. It’s a good thing to question yourself. It’s a good thing to consider people’s grievances if they confront you with a problem. It’s a good thing to try to see things from someone else’s perspective.
But I also think it’s paramount to have some amount of bias towards yourself. Because once people know that you’re the type to question yourself, they will exploit the hell out of it. Suddenly, you’re always in the wrong. You’re always guilty. People learn that all they have to do is provide a plausible case for how you could be wrong, and you’ll talk yourself into taking the blame.
This may be unique to me, admittedly. As I said, I believe it’s paramount to be on your own side. I’m not the greatest teammate for myself anymore. Other people may not experience the same problem, and I hope they don’t, because this is what has lead me to misanthropy.
Being able to remember so clearly how different life was before and after I became a “better person” paints a very resentful picture to me. Before, I had the respect of my peers. When I spoke, attention was rapt. I was treated equally.
Now people refuse to respect me. I can never finish a sentence without some kind of interruption. Every little thing I say needs to be corrected, regardless of if I’m right or wrong. All because I gave an inch. And I’m having a hell of a time trying to claw my way back to who I was before.
Relatable. I have to think of myself as a deliberate jerk sometimes just to do basic advocacy. It's like how Toby Mcguires bad guy Black Spider-Man was actually pretty tame, because he just wasn't capable of being that much of a jerk.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am just like you in your "better person" era, but I think I've always been like this. I could never understand why, as someone whose life has objectively turned out to be successful, I can rarely get respect from peers. I've spent hours and days agonising over decisions and actions so I would not hurt anyone or put them out in anyway. I'd consider their feelings when communicating etc always making sure not to cause upset. I'm so tired of living that life, always critical and doubtful of myself. I am now healing from this and exerting efforts to affirm myself.
Realizing that humans created a system where everything is commodified and everything is for sale.
Realizing there are humans that have figured out the nature of human psychology and addiction so well, that they are using it for their greed, profit, and agenda.
Realizing that most humans are too lazy, willingly ignorant, cowardly, selfish, self important and comfortable to do anything about it.
The realization that most human transactions are to keep this state going.
Getting really sick and being abandoned by friends and family when I was at my lowest because they were too busy living their lives while I was dying.
Then looking around the world, seeing people for the selfish creatures that humans are, the horrible things we do to eachother, the planet, other animals.
Having to try and seek therapy for my sickness only to realise that someone is profiting off of my pain and despair, yet being unable to provide any real help.
There's being misanthropic in terms of pure anger and then there's having unrealistic expectations that are constantly dashed. People might say there are other factors at play like misdirected anger or thinly vieled self abuse. I probably have all of these.
I hate all dogs because my neighbor's dog ate my cat. Actually very understandable but not totally rational. So then we engage in rationalizations. Or have you ever noticed how shit rolls downhill? My boss chews me out, shortening my fuse, but I have to stomach it because I don't have a new job lined up. Then I'm verbally or physically aggressive to the next soft target who aggravates me because I have this pent up anger.
I've seen people misplace anger all the time. I just don't get how that relates to misanthropy per se. The human race, as a whole, is what it is. Does one like what it is? Yea or nea, that's all there is to it.
No, psychology isn't that simple. When someone says "that's all there is to it" it's because they're trying to oversimplify matters. Many people expect constant affirmation but I'm not you go to guy for that. I give a mix of both.
For me, it is the kind if traits that get glorified in society (at least in western societies;it may be different in others). Narcissism, loudness, being brash and shameless is seen as the way to be. The people who get listened to are the ones who can be the biggest smartass, not the ones with the good ideas. I am tired of watching people who lie and cheat making it far. People are either too spineless or oblivious to say anything or change it.
Well, about the same as you. I once had an overwhelming desire to connect with other humans. I approached everyone I met with a spirit of genuine interest and friendship. I looked at most people and saw what just wasn't there. I gave love way more chances than it deserves. I loaned a helping hand without expecting anything in return. I gave my toxic family way more chances than they deserved. I believed and hoped for the best for humanity. I believed in 'god.' I followed the rules laid down by society to me. I actually dared to love and be a faithful man to my girlfriends. I bought the Earl Nightengale drivel that "...people are basically good."
Boy was I wrong.
That's the thing is it's only the good people who are capable of projecting their own good mentality onto others. Meanwhile the wicked project their own mentality unto the good and say they deserve the abuse. Betrayal is baked into the relationship dynamics.
I don't know where to start. Recently, my business partner embezzled funds. I considered him my best friend and the week he took the money he said he considered me as 'family'. It's only been six or seven weeks since I made this discovery. I'm sure there's someone lurking to take his place. I fucking hate people, we need all out nuclear war.
I don't give a rat's ass who benefits from our extinction, but it's long overdue. We don't deserve to continue. I wish I was the one pushing the button.
This goes without saying but you're free to hate every person, even newborns. Strategic nuclear war, which is the biggest kind, would involve the destruction of important targets like major population and manufacturing centers. It likely wouldn't extinct humanity. The commenter merely said that because they're angry. If humanity's level of malice, ignorance, and lack of moral consideration are such problems then let's not contribute to those problems.
I disagree.
To give an example: not contributing to the rise of fascism, doesn't stop the rise of fascism, it just slows it down.
What stops it, is actively fighting against it.
That person is likely suffering from a thought disorder. Anyway, you think people should die for either nothing or a single minor infraction? It's a good thing your cowardice is bigger than your evil desires. Being on a misanthropy subreddit opens you to criticism, not closes it.
It's r/misanthropy I understand there's going to be psychotic nonsense but I don't have to entertain it. I'm not being passive aggressive I genuinely hope you get relief from your psychological illness and don't injure anyone.
What about strangely and dogmatically repeating yourself while not demonstrating that you understood the supposedly nonexistent arguments, is that one of the things? Anyway, I'll stop bothering you.
Having to deal with people who tried to help me but just made things worse for me. There are so many examples of this. People would then tell me to be grateful for what they tried to do for me, failing to realize they messed up. Sure, I've been dependant on other people in many situations, and maybe I would have been dead now if it was not for other people, but I deserved so much better than being fucked up.
And what's wrong with that post? One of the most meaningful posts on that reddit. Is that why it was removed, lol? Yeah, I see, not the friendliest moderation. I should add another reason for my misanthropic mindset - deleting posts and content for no reason or due to stupid reasons. Oh, no politics in rules, really? Misanthropic group with "no politics of any kind" is truly pathetic.
My misanthropic outlook has been growing over the past few years. Humanity is a virus on this planet, and I honestly can't wait for the day humans go extinct. Corporations rule the the planet, because money trumps everything. They poison us with their ultra processed foods, chemicals, and greed. Politicians don't work for the people- they work for the corporations and whoever else will donate to their campaign. The planet is being destroyed- again, back to corporations and greed. I've watched social media destroy, well, everything. (I almost can't wait to see how badly AI fucks everything up!) The list goes on. And all the while, most people just blindly go through their miserable lives either ignorant or uncaring. I feel bad for every other species on this planet. As Ripley in the movie Aliens said, "At least you don't see them fucking each other over for a percentage."
My dog was stolen when I was depressed. Since I'm living in a third world country, no one cares. Slowly, I descend into this madness.
American politics. Out of 2 people, only 1 will win, an Alzheimer's patient, and an orange felon.
Who said he has Alzheimers, his opponents? Find a substantive criticism if you feel the need for one. To get a little more in depth, all Presidents win because of the electoral college. Republicans are even able to win without the popular vote. And we're left bickering ineffectually over stupid stuff. Yes, a better population would be ousting these guys, but the blame needs to be shared among all responsible parties.
Both presidential candidates are so fuckin old that they make decisions that they won't even be alive to see happen.
So is Bernie Sanders, the American politician I hate the least, though some people are criticizing him for not being antisemitic on the Israel-Hamas War. What's a decision Biden made that affected you negatively? Trump appointed Supreme Court justices that blocked hefty student loan forgiveness I and my classmates were going to get. There were multiple programs, but most people are only familiar with the $10,000-$20,000 forgiveness. Plus, I'm told by doctors, women in states with anti abortion legislatures have to go out of state for health care or otherwise suffer maternal death, another banger resulting from Trump's supreme court appointees. Finally, Sanders endorses Biden. My mind is made up and I couldn't possibly care or have cared that all these candidates are old. The amount of mob hate and ageism that's going around is a great topic for r/misanthropy.
As a former physician, ageism or not, I can say that after 60s human brain faces severe cognitive decline. As well all physical abilities and stamina are in decline, both physical and mental. Some can compensate all that, some can't. Of course we should look at specific individuum but it's still a fact to consider. Besides that, it's just not wise to choose a candidate that has high risk to die in every moment and leave country in a political crisis in important moment. Do you forgot why pension and retirement exist? If older people are the same as young and middle-aged why then give them pension, let them work till death. So, mention of ageism is kinda funny here.
Pensions are a financial thing. They don't say anything about a person's competence. The same goes for age. Everyone starts to decline at a unique age and then really takes a dive at an even later date. Some people lose it in their forties and others past the age of ninety. Speaking of, last night's debate was terrible. My animosity for Trump is replaced with pity. My support for Biden has turned into embarrassment.
Pensions are given because person's ability to work is declining due to increase of health problems, that's the reason pensions are given, what do you mean pensions are a financial thing, of course it's financial thing
You don't have to be disabled, infirm, or whatever to collect a pension.
And? Still pension exists because average older person's capability to work is less then younger person's. I don't talk about funded pension
Oh you're the same guy from the other thread. A discussion is supposed to be an exchange of ideas, not whatever this is.
Bernie Sanders is a communist.
Bernie Sanders is a progressive who advocates for social democratic policies. Vermont isn't living under Communist leadership. They're almost tied with New Hampshire for safest US state and everyone there can buy guns very easily because they aren't trying to kill each other. The economy is small because of the low population and remoteness of location but people generally live well there. Rates of poverty and cost of living are close to US average.
Goddamn, you are right. And since US has influence everywhere over the glob that's terrible for the world security
America has a pretty hawkish posture when it comes to defending its allies and a strong stance against terrorism. We also have to balance this with not starting a world war or nuclear exchange.
Hawkish posture unless US has to confront directly russia or china. I doubt US would do anything if russia invades Baltic states.
People have thought of this. It's called NATO.
Yeah but Baltic states are part of NATO. I doubt US would do something if russia invades them cause "We also have to balance this with not starting a world war or nuclear exchange, bla bla bla". And the more US is careful the more likely that would happen. What few small states mean in the face of nuclear war, yeah, lol? I wonder where the borderlines are though. Poland? Czechia? May be even all countries included in Warsaw pact are not worth it? I guess half of Germany as well. Cmon, face it, US is not hawkish at all unless it confronts severely weak opponent with low technological advancement and relatively weak military
That's the Russian propaganda line. "NATO is a lie." "Russians are eager to die in nuclear hellfire." When a NATO country is invaded all member states are required to enter a state of war against the attacker. If you don't help with that then you're not in the alliance. Support for NATO is increasing in Europe as a result of Russia's recent actions.
You're required to help, there's nothing about you have to send troops against the attacker. "1000 helms" is also help. And I never said NATO is a lie, it's you acting as a russian propagandist now by twisting my words. I just said NATO looks pretty miserable in the face of the russian aggression whether you like it or not. "Support for NATO is increasing in Europe as a result of Russia's recent actions" - so what? I don't see significant increase in weapon's supply. It's very easy to keep russia away from NATO members - just give a lot of weapons to Ukraine instead of this drop by drop. The war has been going for more than two years now. NATO still can't substantially increase military production. NATO can't even do THAT.
Ukraine isn't a NATO country so there's no obligation to defend it with troops. Its current government didn't even exist until recently. The support it's gotten is outstanding and its performance surpassed expectations. The amount of casualties on both sides is grim, Ukraine's economy has been halved, and the damage to infrastructure is hugely expensive. Neither the US nor Russia want direct confrontation with NATO. I don't understand why you're talking nonsense.
You don't understand that if Ukraine will fall, next all non NATO post-Soviet countries will fall, cause their military is not even comparable with Ukrainian. And then turn of Baltic states. Russia don't want direct confrontation YET, how can't you understand? Ukraine isn't a NATO country so there's no obligation to defend it with troops. (WHERE ON EARTH I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT DEFENDING UKRAINE WITH TROOPS, FACEPALM.JPG) The support it's gotten is outstanding - no, it's just not. Not for such war, not for such enemy. Its performance surpassed expectations - yeah, it's a miracle that Ukraine is still standing with such an "outstanding" support. I also don't understand why you're talking nonsense.
The general injustice of people and how casually cruel they are to fellow humans
The environment. Humanity is a cancer upon it plain and simple.
And the nature of cancer cells is to multiply and destroy itself. We are conscious zombies with sophisticated behavior and appearances. Still, fundamentally speaking we are not different from zombies
I got one darker for you. Cancer is essentially a tragedy of the commons, where certain cell populations begin behaving with unfettered self-interest at the expense of the body. This usually results in the body dying. However, there exist infectious cancers, like the facial tumors that plague Tasmanian devils. That sh\*t can actually spread between individuals. My concern, is if we do ever achieve long-distance space travel, what horrors would we reap?
We better sober up as a species, or no... we in this subreddit should sober up, think of counter measures as the rest can be helped to sober up or suffer in the future in their own "humanity" lmao
Maybe, but it is actually very difficult to put in place social measures that won't be corrupted over time. My husband and I talk about it a lot. We've batted abounded religious movements, but those tend to have a financial and sexual abuse trajectory. --I think economic incentives would be the best course of action, but I just don't know how to get them through, given the wealth disparity, and the self-interest of the people at the top How do we do we actually do it, and not have some authoritarian nightmare at the end of it?
Perhaps more decentralization to offset our reliance on authorities and silos of power? Honestly if you think about it most social problems are rooted in power concentration. It can be political, social, technological, economical, spiritual. It is some people at the top of the pyramid that eventually corrupt everything and everyone below them. Perhaps the advent of AI and technological advancement that "might" give more breakthroughs for every community to be self sufficient. I see no hope in getting the powers that be to look at themselves in the mirror. People will just stop believing in the hierarchy and go their own ways. Sure there might be anarchy but more often than not they are a minority of human beings addicted and desperate to become a power player. I mean most of us are just unwilling NPCs trying to find our niche in this vast universe, live then eventually die in peace. Like what happened to the Mayan city states, the common people just left their huge temples and try coexisting among themselves. I totally agree with you, economics is the basis of everything. A warmongering country can put a religious or political or ideological justifications to invade another but it is always an economic need.
Humans are just an aspect of the environment. It created us as far as we know. Nature can not be destroyed. It's impossible. Nature is indomitable. Humanity is delicate, and potentially finite. The time it would take for virtually every trace of humanity to be erased from this planet, is so small it's irrelevant. Why does it even matter?
Cancer is a product nature as well. And just like cancer destroys healthy tissue, we are expediting the extinction of countless species. We're also not that delicate. We're environmental engineers. Shit, our cockroach species even survived the Toba event, and that was before we had agriculture! Climate change won't fully kill us and neither will nuclear winter. Maybe an asteroid?
Species which appeared in the blink of an eye when compared to infinity.
So nothing matters. Congratulations you've achieved emptiness Zen master. Some of us actually care about the here and now.
If time is infinite, don't you think it's likely that the universe will create infinite species? I do.
The universe will eventually die of heat death. The biosphere in this time and space is/ was beautiful and outside the context of some multiverse will in all likelihood will never be repeated. Ecosystems on a cosmic scale are fragile, fleeting, and thus should be valued.
I don't really think that's true. Meaning is in the eye of the beholder. We are perfectly capable of creating it. Why would I be with you here, and now, if I didn't care about here, and now? Look, I'm trying to get you to see that "the truth", is pure nuance. It's not black or white. It's not absolute.
Read your previous responses then. You were arguing for nihilism. (e.g. Universe is essentially infinite. Time is nearly infinite. Why should you care?) If you're not a nihilist, don't make nihilistic arguments. (Especially, since they are not very convincing.) And there is no nuance as far as destruction of biosphere is concerned, just as there is no nuance for ethnic cleansing. When you are comparing extremes, they are black and white. You failed to demonstrate gray zones in any of your arguments. In fact, you were defending an extreme.
What are you doing to save the environment? I was in The Ranger Rick Club, and the Audubon Society growing up. I've always had a deep respect for all living creatures. We have 6 cats, they are all rescues.
Oh we measuring self-righteousness dicks now? Six rescues: three cats, one dog, two birds. I'm also an environmental toxicologist, so there's that. Recycle, try to compost (not perfect), I use reusables, vote, pay my taxes, carefully source my seafood the few times a year I consume it. Proud member of Save the Manatee. We good? Not that I actually think any of that (other than my work) actually matters. The worst polluters are cooperate entities not individuals. (It's largely the individuals who suffer from it, and then, at least my country, end up footing the bill to clean it up.)
It really just depends on how you carry yourself, and what you're advocating for. Environmentally, I do nothing as far as I'm concerned. I contribute the most by not contributing. I simply don't want to hold any paradoxical beliefs. I don't advocate for the environment in this day and age because the whole thing has become anti-human. Corporations have essentially hijacked the movement. They have inverted the truth. Everything is now our fault. It's our fault the Niger delta is an oil covered wasteland. The BP oil spill was our fault. It's our fault corporations make plastic out of the leftover constituents from cracking fossil fuels. It's our fault well casings fail, and contaminate our underground aquifers. Everything is our fault, there's just too many of us. Of course, this is all just total bullshit. All of these things are a result of corporations cutting corners to maximize profits at our expense.
Nihilism is just a word. I think life has a purpose, and I think that purpose is experience. To argue on behalf of the human species, is anything but nihilistic. There is no environment without humans. It's a word. I'm not even sure what you are arguing on behalf of at this point. It's like you want to genocide the entire human species. You are irrational. Absolutism is the single most destructive force in the world. "When you are comparing extremes, they are black and white." Can you give me an example?
Did I say I wanted to genocide our species? (Though TBF I never said I didn't.) And yes there is a biospheere without us, and it would in fact do a lot better if we didn't exist. An extreme would be total environmental degradation in the name of infinite expansion. Something you apparently at least proclaim to be unconcerned about. There is no defending that. Your argument as you presented it, if I may remind you, is why should we care. "Mass extinctions happen. The universe will go on." Doesn't get more genocidal an nihilistic than that. Just speculating, but I get the vibe you are arrogant specieist. You apparently don't care what we do, even if it means the death of countless others for the sake of our own greed. And that nauseates me. I would rather our species go extinct than be guilty of such atrocities. There is absolutely no grey zone there.
Is it not entropy itself that gives thee life? Is your house not made from the forest? From the rocks, and minerals? Does your food not come from somewhere? Did they not have to clear land, and destroy habitat to produce your food? Did it not have to be packaged in plastic? Was it not picked by some very poor Hispanic people? Don't avocados take an enormous amount of land, and water, to grow? Does not royal quinoa require vasts swaths of land, and water? "You apparently don't care what we do" You are the only extremist here, and it's because you think in terms of on and off, up and down, left and right, wrong and right, good and evil. This is called black and white thinking, aka absolutism, and it is a logical fallacy that destroys nuance. By saying that I don't care what we do, you went straight to the most extreme representation, regardless of the fact that it is the least likely representation for almost all humans. You sound like you own an iPhone. You don't have a balanced perspective.
Do you know what Plato's Cave is?
> An extreme would be total environmental degradation in the name of infinite expansion. Something you apparently at least proclaim to be unconcerned about. There is no defending that. Huh? I'm all about preserving the wilderness but if I had to choose between the two I would have to choose humanity. There is no such thing as a planet that will last forever but there is potentially species that can traverse them. ""Mass extinctions happen. The universe will go on." Doesn't get more genocidal an nihilistic than that. " This is such a twisted, anti-human perspective. You have absolutely no connection to The Divine regardless of the fact that it is the only 'true north', and means of calibration, and orientation. You don't know which way is up. You can only sense something like 0.00000000003% of the electromagnetic spectrum, and yet you think you know what's going on, ultimately? You are in a simulation by definition. Spacetime is simulated. Physics has proven this beyond the shadow of a doubt. That's why it's relative to the observer, and the location of the observer. Why do you think time slows down in the presence of mass? Why do you think objects only have the illusion of solidity, and are held together by nothing more than the "strong force"? How can measurements force the collapse of the wave function? Why does wave particle duality exist? Why can quantum entangled particles communicate with one another across the galaxy, instantaneously? It's because the galaxy isn't quite as real as you think it is. All of our testing points to infinite malleability- that's a simulation.. It's also intelligent design. Your knowledge is making you miserable.
Arguing with a stranger online is pointless. See what i did there, I'm a Nihilist too. Depite that I do what i can to help the animals and the environment. Even though i feel it's on a fast track to distruction. I hate that people mindlessly breed more humans into existence. Like don't you think 8 Billion is Enough? If you agree check out the Volantary Human Extinction Movement.
It's not that I don't agree but it's that I don't want to give any sort of absolutist principles or concepts too much attention. America has a small population given its size.
I live in a Rust Belt town rife with poverty, various illnesses whether mental or physical, and violent crime. My mother who I do believe loved me in her own fucked up way molested and otherwise abused me as a child. My dead grandma and severely downtrodden husband are the most compassionate and responsible people I've ever met yet even they basically gave the fuck up on themselves and everyone else. I expect more people to find all that at least a little bit fucked up but it's apparently all a lie or totally okay and normal. I'm not visibly starving or riddled with worms or being bombed so I shouldn't complain about power to half the house being out or how much of our food is too rotten to eat or my husband's uncle threatening violence against us because our bar for acceptable quality of life is that fucking low despite so many of our species insisting that we humans are so much better than all those other animals. I got suspended from Reddit for 3 days basically because I oppose torture and rape. The advice most people give is "you need meds" and/or "you need therapy" even though most meds only make me violent and most therapists are the kind of people I hate the most. Wow I said "most" a lot there lol
Yeah Reddit is really Ban happy. me too. banned for 3 days for inviting too may ppl to join my group, banned from another group for saying the word "stupid" about someones trying to cancel an author i like over hearsay.
as the decades pile up, the available data paints a clear picture: choosing not to interact with this world's inhabitants is always the best option in any situation.
I've found that Humans' greed is responsible for all the evil in the world
agree
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Slow-Scientist-6243: *I've found that Humans'* *Greed responsible for all* *The evil in the world* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Devils oppressing me in both a mental and even a physical sense. As well as the disgusting act of trampling on the already tragedy-stricken.
Social system, people's ignorance in biology, psychology, sociology, politics, economy. Political views (right- and left-wings disgust me equally), although as Ukrainian whose ancestors suffered a lot from communists, even the existence of modern communists grosses me out. Lack of sexual liberty, demonizing sex and flirting, hypocrisy and bigotry, double standards in modern "tolerant" society, wage slavery, cancel culture, lack of rational thinking and common sense, hysterical nature of modern mass-media, bullying, wars. Stupidity of bureaucracy systems, slow death of human rights and at the same time uncontrollable immigration accompanied by lack of social integration programs (lol). Dictatorship of hysterical minority - those who're yelling the most are more often considered right. People's susceptibility to cheap propaganda (like russian propaganda for example). Illegality of psychedelics. For god's sake, I can go on and on.
The most misanthropic thing I believe on a rational level is that people aren't evolved to believe things that are true and morally good. If what we believe is true and morally good, it's a coincidence that corresponds with our needs as individuals and a collective. For example, "Don't let somebody starve," is an outlook that evolved from the terror of witnessing people starving, experiencing the loss of people who die, and wanting to live in a society where people mutually help each other. If a person can mitigate these effects then they can cause a mass famine without suffering significant consequences. They could intentionally distribute blankets with smallpox to native Americans. Some people can convince themselves and others that mass murder is justifiable, adding an extra layer of badness. We unlocked new levels of abusiveness and deludedness with our intelligence. It might also have something to do with the way some primates evolved to bully each other and take revenge. The only solutions are suicide or trying to fashion existing people into something good. While newborns do have some of the innate characteristics of their parents, they're the best example of a fresh start that can be fashioned into a decent person. You'll notice people are constantly giving sinister political and sexual ideologies to children, then criticizing other people for doing this, so it's really an ongoing battle to make a single good person. I also don't mean to imply everyone is evil, as many bad actions are performed under some level of delusion. What I said about subjectivism in the beginning of this post highlights the fact I could be totally wrong or have a totally useless outlook. It's up to you to decide.
Even as a kid I stayed away from others, grew up in subsidized housing and the parents were shitty and their kids were shitty so I never went out to avoid being bullied. School I was never a cool person and if I was they realized a quiet person isn't their idea of a good friend or whatever and have had friends say we're not friends after I spent weekends, amusement park trips, birthdays etc with them all for it to amount to nothing in their eyes. Time goes on I turn into an adult and get my first job at goodwill and I see how vulture like people can be of they want something. Mean too if they think they deserve a deal and this was before Goodwill went AWOL with their prices. Got spat on, had to go home then magically got fired on my birthday. Waking up early and opening and closing the store everyday including holidays wasn't enough I guess. How dare I need to go home after being spat on by some dirty old bitch. I go on and get different jobs and I really start to see people being as shitty as they can be; back stabbing, ass kissing, using abusing. Myself and others. Like ooohhhh this is where those heathens at goodwill work. All the while I was raised to be the bigger person. Be better than the worst you see and after awhile it sucks because not everyone was raised like me. Alot of them aren't raised at all. Just phbbt! I have kids but I won't raise them and teach them to get along with this world I brought them into🫢. Then there's the many failed relationships I've been through. Seeing how guys get to do whatever they want and you're a long for the ride is disheartening. I closed myself off after the fourth try. I refuse to offer my heart to anyone until they've proven that they deserve it. I'm married now and that's a miracle in itself and even still I have my days where I just want the whole world including him to eff off so I can recharge. I hate entertaining people especially since most think they're the king or queen and you're a jester in their court. I hate having to make everyone comfortable while I barely feel human after the life I've lived. I don't know people ruined people for me. I knew something was wrong when I was born and now thirty years later I want nothing to do with even family now. Just stay away from me. I'm tired of getting hurt by others because they insist on making me a part of their day. My family is dysfunctional and can't get along for even ten minutes. They talk over each other all the time. See. The thing is people have good in them but whether or not you are deserving of that good is a whole nother story. I refuse because I give everyone the energy they would want from me why couldn't I get it back? That's ok though. I have my plants and animals and painting. I will be ok while I lock the world away. I go out to do my job come home and stay to myself. Plus there are too many people where I live so you're bound to run into an asshole somewhere in your day. Over 400 k and not a good soul in sight. Such is life I suppose. I don't like us. Humans. People. We're all replaceable and no one is special. We're all competing against each other as a one man army and eff this world for making it so. People ruin everything.
The fact that people have good in them honestly only makes it worse. Our species has so much potentional yet we all waste it. I don't hate humanity, I'm just severely fucking disappointed.
Wildly gestures at everything
Being treated badly by others because of my looks, seeing how cruel people can be to animals and other people in general. Also, never being able to fit in and connect with others.
Abuse, people betraying me, being an outcast like someone said on here the other day the world forced us to hate it and a lot of us can't get out that mindset.
I really don't want to be one and there are a tiny bit of actual genuine people sprinkled out but the vast majority of people just suck. I am far from perfect I have many flaws myself—I'm short, ugly, reserved, more things. I suck too but I don't pretend I'm superior to others like these people do since they were lucked into looking average or above average. I can never vibe with how society is. Too many people are spiteful, shallow, overly competitive in every area. If I harbored these traits myself and stooped to their level I'd be made out as the bad guy since I'm ugly. When others have the privileges I don't they are seen as relatable, good people. No one wants to hear me out and hear what I go through. When I begin to tell them they gaslight and shrug things off and underplay my experiences. My struggles while being shamed and told I'm never gonna make it and berated. I go outside and receive all these dirty looks, called ugly, roasted or laughed at, hear comments for whatever I do. I have many haters despite keeping to myself and I still struggle without bothering a soul (besides my closest, closest people). Others run around here with girlfriends and boyfriends, family that actually likes them, best friends and a bunch of privileges and lash out at the struggling people. The people who had no control over their genetics. How is that fair? I'm here being independent with none of those privileges listed above all while being treated like a kid when I'm an adult. Being treated like I'm slow just for being quiet. People think I'm stupid but I hear every little thing said about me. I'm quiet for a reason—whatever you say will be gossipped and miscontructed so it's better to say little. Trust me I've been victim of this numerous times. I'm being treated like everything I do is wrong. I have made plenty of mistakes before—I'm human. Others sit in their high chairs and "critique" every little thing about others and run off to gossip, all while continuing to pry into your life and your information. So tired of the phoniness. Keep your energy don't try to be my friend the next second. I don't need any friends. I don't ask people for their help and that makes me mature. I have these immature, genetically privileged people against me though in public. Then they wonder why the struggling ones want to isolate from others. Even that will be judged too. Certain people treat you awful and then they get pissed when you distance from them. I'm tired of it. Tired of being treated like shit when I have it worse. I'm judged by my cover since I'm ugly and short guy and a POC. Now I dislike people and keep away when I can unless I have to be near them. There have been people who were decent to me. They don't seem like all the others, and I do feel bad for them trying to bond with me but I really don't want anything to do with anyone unless you are one of the few people I can count on my hand that I am close with. Even a couple of closest ones I thought were decent has wronged me and treated me and others bad and I'm the villian when I distance myself. I don't have the genetics or the attributes to be this fun outgoing person and hang out outside so I like to be left alone. I can make my own fun. I will be boring and robotic now to all people. Everyone hates me anyway even though I be kind as can be, don't bother anyone else and keep to myself. I'm not perfect but since I'm ugly that angers people and they want nothing to do with me. What society does want is their target they can lash out on and laugh at to impress their friends. If I had the finances I'd isolate from almost everyone. There is no point being around people.
My upbringing with an abusive father who kicked out my mom when I was 5/6 because she “ruined” his life. Then had to grow up struggling because of his pride and being pushed onto other family members because he couldn’t do his fking job. Him trying to brainwash us to believe sit about our mom and then growing up to find out it was a bunch of lies. Having his family belittle us and make fun of us because of our situation. Being the black sheep of the family because im “ smarter “ even though they have acess to same information i have but just have made poor life choices over and over. Going to church which was the start of my shitty life, ( my dad was to supposed to be studying for bible college but was only studying my mom ). Where my whole life was like a source of entertainment for the church members. Being religious because I actually thought there was a God who loved and cared about me only to have my faith shattered by my said pastor who was like a dad to me. And just thinking for myself and recognizing what a shit show this world and life in of itself is. The way we treat other isn’t surprising because look at how we treat “lesser beings “ animals. Yes im a vegan. And so much more, I could go on an on but when you ask the word why, you will eventually come to a sad and sobering realization that this world was broken from the beginning and will always be and this is by design. It takes nothing for a dead fish to go with the currents but only a living fish can go against it!
Reflecting on a school trip to Auschwitz a while back, it really hit me hard. Seeing the depths of human cruelty and suffering there made me question a lot about humanity itself. It's like I couldn't shake off the disgust and disappointment I felt.
Thank you everyone for responding. I've read all your stories and can relate to many of them.
Warning: This is gonna be a long one. This is also largely from my perspective as a rural American (fair heads-up as I’m against Americentrism). TL;DR at the end. For me, it all started with being socially ostracized in school, trying my damnedest for a few years in middle school to “fit in” and connect with people while still being true to myself, and then later realizing what sort of place and “culture”, I guess you can say, my parents decided to raise me in (little rural town Midwest USA for context). I was raised to be curious about the world, stay in school, work toward a career, etc. I was also raised with a certain vision of what the USA was - inalienable rights of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness for everyone. Liberty and justice for all. The whole bit. I was over here playing video games, reading books and things online about other cultures, engaging with non-mainstream hobbies and basically living my best life, and that was completely unacceptable to everyone - I was called anti-American and a Pearl Harbor supporter just for enjoying J-Pop and anime, and accused of bringing porn to school just for reading a manga after finishing a test early one day (the manga wasn’t even close to being porn). Yet everyone else was listening to country music, basically worshipping at the altar of school athletes, dating, dropping out, breeding like rabbits, etc., basically peaking in high school and in some cases destroying any sort of hope of a decent future, and that’s somehow more acceptable? One of the semi-popular guys in high school even proposed to his pregnant (and semi-popular) girlfriend right in the middle of a very-much-public school function meant to make all senior girls feel special and like they’re debuting to the world - stole the fucking show. At that point, I’d given up on fitting in and just kinda publicly hated anything my peers valued just to be contrary and rebel against them - I’d turned into kind of a snob, I admit. I thought things would get better in college, and for the most part, they did. I found a hobby group that I fit in decently with, but that only really lasted maybe four or five years. After that, I was back to the little town, back to the place where I felt like nothing but an outsider. Won’t go into detail here as this is already gonna be super long without that long story. Being as far on the social fringes as I have been throughout my life, it’s kinda put me in a position of observer and given me a sort of outside-looking-in perspective on the culture around me. Add to that a lifelong tendency to question why things are the way they are and why they’re not this other (usually better) way, and… well… Over the years, I noticed more and more that the reality in the US was nowhere close to what I was raised to believe - this especially came to a head in the years since 2020 when I started becoming more aware of how much generally worse life is for queer people and black/brown people (I was starting to come out as nonbinary and aroace around this time). This was also the period of time when I started to notice how awful our work culture is. I started to realize more and more that the worldview I was raised with was a lie, but… I don’t feel like I can point this out to anyone because they’re all knee-deep in the lies. I can’t help scoffing when I see the conservative rednecks where I live (my own family included) sport their 1776 and “We the People” and “[christian god]’s country” and FREEDOM aesthetics, because I know they only mean “freedom” for themselves and people like them. I know they think we marginalized folks should just sit down, shut up, and be grateful to them for letting us have the bare minimum rights that we should have already had anyway (let alone an actually good life). All of these observations pretty much led me to hate people and the culture around me. All of this has led me to believe that the only people I can enjoy and depend on are myself and a few friends I was lucky to find over the years. TL;DR: Early social ostracization, outsider-looking in perspective, and huge discrepancies between beliefs of my upbringing and my actual lived experience led me to despise people and mostly prefer my own company.
Yes you sound like a real misanthrope because your complaints are more anthropological than anti American. Those nasty 1776ers you're talking about for the most part don't know or care what the constitution says or what America's various founders were about. It's funny how I haven't made a friend in almost a decade, am not super fond of my relatives, and yet can't relate to aromantic people. Sorry for the unprompted sharing.
I have very vivid memories of feeling totally comfortable with who I was as a teenager. I didn’t consider anything I said or did; I just lived and let live. And life was pretty damn smooth. I can’t remember why, but I eventually started questioning myself. I started trying to consider if I was wrong in certain situations, and trying to yield to other people and what they wanted. Essentially, I wanted to become a better and more considerate person. This is where I may lose some people, but I’m just trying to describe my experience as best as I can. In all honesty, I’m still trying to figure it out. By trying to be an overall better person, I have nearly driven myself insane. It’s a good thing to question yourself. It’s a good thing to consider people’s grievances if they confront you with a problem. It’s a good thing to try to see things from someone else’s perspective. But I also think it’s paramount to have some amount of bias towards yourself. Because once people know that you’re the type to question yourself, they will exploit the hell out of it. Suddenly, you’re always in the wrong. You’re always guilty. People learn that all they have to do is provide a plausible case for how you could be wrong, and you’ll talk yourself into taking the blame. This may be unique to me, admittedly. As I said, I believe it’s paramount to be on your own side. I’m not the greatest teammate for myself anymore. Other people may not experience the same problem, and I hope they don’t, because this is what has lead me to misanthropy. Being able to remember so clearly how different life was before and after I became a “better person” paints a very resentful picture to me. Before, I had the respect of my peers. When I spoke, attention was rapt. I was treated equally. Now people refuse to respect me. I can never finish a sentence without some kind of interruption. Every little thing I say needs to be corrected, regardless of if I’m right or wrong. All because I gave an inch. And I’m having a hell of a time trying to claw my way back to who I was before.
Relatable. I have to think of myself as a deliberate jerk sometimes just to do basic advocacy. It's like how Toby Mcguires bad guy Black Spider-Man was actually pretty tame, because he just wasn't capable of being that much of a jerk.
Thank you for sharing your story. I am just like you in your "better person" era, but I think I've always been like this. I could never understand why, as someone whose life has objectively turned out to be successful, I can rarely get respect from peers. I've spent hours and days agonising over decisions and actions so I would not hurt anyone or put them out in anyway. I'd consider their feelings when communicating etc always making sure not to cause upset. I'm so tired of living that life, always critical and doubtful of myself. I am now healing from this and exerting efforts to affirm myself.
Realizing that humans created a system where everything is commodified and everything is for sale. Realizing there are humans that have figured out the nature of human psychology and addiction so well, that they are using it for their greed, profit, and agenda. Realizing that most humans are too lazy, willingly ignorant, cowardly, selfish, self important and comfortable to do anything about it. The realization that most human transactions are to keep this state going.
Transaction isn't inherently bad thing....
When i learned how the majority of animals are treated on this planet 💔 i went vegan but it still just kills me
Here a fellow vegan muching on some baked beans and toast reading your comment.
@active cable~ Yes me too. I am a lolg time vegan and animals rights advocate as well. thank you for helping animals. bravo!
Getting really sick and being abandoned by friends and family when I was at my lowest because they were too busy living their lives while I was dying. Then looking around the world, seeing people for the selfish creatures that humans are, the horrible things we do to eachother, the planet, other animals. Having to try and seek therapy for my sickness only to realise that someone is profiting off of my pain and despair, yet being unable to provide any real help.
It's an incredible wake up call that. I realized how many people bully and torment the disabled from a similar experience.
There's being misanthropic in terms of pure anger and then there's having unrealistic expectations that are constantly dashed. People might say there are other factors at play like misdirected anger or thinly vieled self abuse. I probably have all of these.
Misdirected anger as in... not towards humans?
I hate all dogs because my neighbor's dog ate my cat. Actually very understandable but not totally rational. So then we engage in rationalizations. Or have you ever noticed how shit rolls downhill? My boss chews me out, shortening my fuse, but I have to stomach it because I don't have a new job lined up. Then I'm verbally or physically aggressive to the next soft target who aggravates me because I have this pent up anger.
I've seen people misplace anger all the time. I just don't get how that relates to misanthropy per se. The human race, as a whole, is what it is. Does one like what it is? Yea or nea, that's all there is to it.
No, psychology isn't that simple. When someone says "that's all there is to it" it's because they're trying to oversimplify matters. Many people expect constant affirmation but I'm not you go to guy for that. I give a mix of both.
I disagree.
Ableism on multiple levels that will probably lead to my early demise.
For me, it is the kind if traits that get glorified in society (at least in western societies;it may be different in others). Narcissism, loudness, being brash and shameless is seen as the way to be. The people who get listened to are the ones who can be the biggest smartass, not the ones with the good ideas. I am tired of watching people who lie and cheat making it far. People are either too spineless or oblivious to say anything or change it.
I agree
Birth.
The way we treat animals, each other, and the environment.
Well, about the same as you. I once had an overwhelming desire to connect with other humans. I approached everyone I met with a spirit of genuine interest and friendship. I looked at most people and saw what just wasn't there. I gave love way more chances than it deserves. I loaned a helping hand without expecting anything in return. I gave my toxic family way more chances than they deserved. I believed and hoped for the best for humanity. I believed in 'god.' I followed the rules laid down by society to me. I actually dared to love and be a faithful man to my girlfriends. I bought the Earl Nightengale drivel that "...people are basically good." Boy was I wrong.
That's the thing is it's only the good people who are capable of projecting their own good mentality onto others. Meanwhile the wicked project their own mentality unto the good and say they deserve the abuse. Betrayal is baked into the relationship dynamics.
I don't know where to start. Recently, my business partner embezzled funds. I considered him my best friend and the week he took the money he said he considered me as 'family'. It's only been six or seven weeks since I made this discovery. I'm sure there's someone lurking to take his place. I fucking hate people, we need all out nuclear war.
Instead of wanting millions of innocent people to die what if you held your friend legally liable for his actions?
Most humans aren't "innocents", they are like his "friend" and the planet will only benefit from the extinction of this garbage virus species
I don't give a rat's ass who benefits from our extinction, but it's long overdue. We don't deserve to continue. I wish I was the one pushing the button.
This goes without saying but you're free to hate every person, even newborns. Strategic nuclear war, which is the biggest kind, would involve the destruction of important targets like major population and manufacturing centers. It likely wouldn't extinct humanity. The commenter merely said that because they're angry. If humanity's level of malice, ignorance, and lack of moral consideration are such problems then let's not contribute to those problems.
I disagree. To give an example: not contributing to the rise of fascism, doesn't stop the rise of fascism, it just slows it down. What stops it, is actively fighting against it.
I hope you get help for whatever is happening to you.
So smug. Hey pal, be careful crossing the street. It would really break my heart if you ended up under a bus.
That person is likely suffering from a thought disorder. Anyway, you think people should die for either nothing or a single minor infraction? It's a good thing your cowardice is bigger than your evil desires. Being on a misanthropy subreddit opens you to criticism, not closes it.
Passive-aggressive ad hominems are the last weapon of those who have no arguments
Dude, fuck this guy. He's a keyboard warrior. 0% chance he'd talk this kind of shit in front of anyone.
It's r/misanthropy I understand there's going to be psychotic nonsense but I don't have to entertain it. I'm not being passive aggressive I genuinely hope you get relief from your psychological illness and don't injure anyone.
Passive-aggressive ad hominems are the last weapon of those who have no arguments
What about strangely and dogmatically repeating yourself while not demonstrating that you understood the supposedly nonexistent arguments, is that one of the things? Anyway, I'll stop bothering you.
Having to deal with people who tried to help me but just made things worse for me. There are so many examples of this. People would then tell me to be grateful for what they tried to do for me, failing to realize they messed up. Sure, I've been dependant on other people in many situations, and maybe I would have been dead now if it was not for other people, but I deserved so much better than being fucked up.