Misanthropy develops when a person, completely trusting another who appears to be good-natured and truthful, then discovers that this person in fact is not. When this happens too often, she inevitably begins to hate all people and not trust anyone.
This quote from Socrates suggests that misanthropy is a feeling of hatred and transversal contempt towards humanity. It often arises from a contrast or the dissipation of an expectation that the subject had developed and which was later betrayed. In this Psychology-Online article we are going to delve into more details about What is misanthropy, its possible causes and related symptoms.
What is misanthropy
The term misanthrope derives precisely from the Greek misanthroposof misoshate, and anthropos, man. If you are wondering what misanthropy is, it is understood as a dislike towards society which manifests itself in the search for solitude and in the grumpy rejection of all forms of sociality.
Misanthropy is an attitude that is due both to contempt and hatred towards humanity as a whole, as well as the inability to take an active part in life. In some cases, although it does not have a pathological character in itself, it can be an expression of certain psychic conditions such as paranoia, etc.
Like all beliefs, even misanthropic ones tend to crystallize and polarize over time due to psychological mechanisms such as the , the and the . Then, ending up appearing to the subject as objective and incontrovertible truths. Misanthropy offers a cynical and pessimistic view of the world and greatly increases the risk of paranoid and depressive syndromes.
Types of misanthropy
There are different types of dominant misanthropy. Let’s see what they are:
- Self-Hating Misanthrope: He is the most striking and hates all humanity. He does it with passion and with all his being.
- satirical misanthrope: is the most widespread. He is satisfied with himself, he seems to enjoy the spectacle of human stupidity of all kinds and all evils. All the great satirists belong to this category.
- Misanthrope who hates only his contemporaries: He despises the world closest to him because he has an inner vision of a transformed humanity. You may believe that a better version of humanity has existed or will exist in the past or future. To identify this type it is enough to remember the Alceste of Molière and Nietzsche.
Causes of misanthropy
The misanthrope tends to have attitudes of superiority and little empathy with others. His aversion may be due to different reasons. Next, we show you what the causes of misanthropy are:
- Past with disappointing life experiences: having suffered betrayal from people to whom you were very close.
- Complicated family situations: not being understood or cared for by your loved ones.
- Traumatic events: especially damage caused by a family member who should have taken care of them. They could also have a history of marginalization such as that the boy or girl could not fit in in class, was ignored, excluded, marginalized. Growing up, this person could develop a character prone to asociality.
All of this may have contributed, over time, to the formation of one that tends toward asociality. Misanthropy could also arise in response to society’s inability to make itself acceptedFor example, rejecting others because they rejected me in the past.
Symptoms of misanthropy
Clear examples of misanthropy are those with a general hatred towards humanity and at a psychological level they approach the . This disease affects 3% of men and 1% of women. It manifests itself more frequently in cases of dependency or permanence in prison. Antisocials are generally characterized by manifesting the following symptoms of misanthropy:
- Great vision of oneself and a miserable consideration of one’s neighbor.
- Lack of awarenessof regrets and a sense of gratitude.
- Tendency to rageboredom and remorse.
- Uninhibited behavior and little regard for punishments. Associated with this is the inability to feel empathy and respect the rules.
- Conduct indifferent to the feelings of others: This sometimes provoked aggressive behavior without paying attention to the consequences on others.
The asocial is absolutely detached from others. These symptoms lead him to not be very loved by those close to him and, therefore, the tendency to be isolated is added.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Cattarinussi, B. (2006). Sentimenti, passioni, emozioni. The radici of social behavior. Milan: Franco Angeli.
- Cilento, F. (2021). Misanthropy, hate versus humanity: cause and therapy. Retrieved from: https://www.crescita-personale.it/articoli/crescita-personale/disagio-psicologico/misantropia-odio-verso-umanita-caratteristiche-terapie.html
- Crepaldi, M. (2020). Gli hikikomori sono misantropi (hate il genere human)?. Retrieved from: https://www.hikikomoriitalia.it/2020/03/gli-hikikomori-sono-misantropi.html
- De Simone, A. (2020). “Mi stano tutti sul ca…”. Misanthropy. Retrieved from: https://psicoadvisor.com/mi-stanno-tutti-sul-ca-la-misantropia-18594.html