A misanthrope is someone who mistrusts or hates humankind.

A racist is… well we all know what a racist is.

  • OldWomanoftheWoods@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Racism is worse, because it’s about community - us against them. It provides a focal point for anger and action that doesn’t require self reflection or personal growth.

    Misanthropy … Have you met our species? Violent, destructive, shortsighted, tribalistic apes swarming across their only home devouring it resources and destroying their own habitat with careless abandon.

    Individual humans - we can be amazing. Humans at moments when we overcome our tribalism and selfishness - wonderful. But humankind? Overall, we suck. Misanthropy just realism.

    • 0x4E4F@lemmy.rollenspiel.monster
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      1 year ago

      Misanthropy just realism.

      I think this about sums it up… I’m sorry, I really am, I was such an advocate for human kind and had such hope for it, up until about 10 years ago… and then I just gave up… I mean, it can take a long time to fill a cup if you just drip in it, but eventually, it will get full 🤷.

  • whenigrowup356@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Misanthropes usually keep to themselves, whereas racists can gather up other racists to do racist things

  • Dandroid@dandroid.app
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    1 year ago

    I can’t say that I 100% understand misanthropy, but IMO it’s way worse to single out a group and treat them differently than other groups. Whether that takes the form of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Generally I think that kind of behavior stems from people thinking that they are better than other people, therefore people “worse” than them deserve to be treated like garbage. And I just despise that mindset.

    If someone hates me because of something I have in common with literally every human on the planet it doesn’t feel nearly as personal as if they hate me because I’m different from them in ways that I can’t control.

    • Tedesche@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      If someone hates me because of something I have in common with literally every human on the planet it doesn’t feel nearly as personal as if they hate me because I’m different from them in ways that I can’t control.

      Misanthropes generally don’t hate individual people, and can even sometimes enjoy socializing with others. It’s not even all that accurate to say misanthropes hate humanity; they’re actually more profoundly disappointed in it. This is why they don’t engage in mass shootings or other forms of violence, and instead tend to just isolate themselves.