Re: For the misanthropes...
 

Swans, the excerpt is from an interview conducted by David Tibet with Thomas Ligotti which appeared in AKLO edited by Mark Valentine, Roger Dobson and R. B. Russell. I feel that I'm probably going back to my previous signature soon. The excerpt, though, should be preserved in a post of mine within the Robert Aickman thread.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

I was thinking about this exact subject a few weeks back. It was around the time that the new earth-like planet was discovered. This planet is reported to be at least twice the size of earth, full of water, and with a similar climate. Already people were predicting we'd be colonizing it... someday. However I began to wonder, does humanity deserve to spread any further into the cosmos? We certainly haven't done a very good job with the one home we have. In fact we've become very skilled at sh**ting in our own beds so-to-speak. When I think of humans spreading across the stars I begin to look at our race as a virus of sorts. Do we really want our viral symptoms of ignorance, pettiness, greed, and hatred to spread? I feel that as a species we have a LOT of growing up to do before we should even contemplate finding a new host.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

I'm an optimist: I think we'll die off (or, more likely, kill ourselves off) before we get the chance to populate outer space. Hell, we have to plan years or decades in advance just to send a heap of tin to another planet. We don't stand a chance!

Or, if we do find a way to sustain ourselves in outer space or on another planet, then I don't think we'll be exactly "human" after a while.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

How Agent Smith-y of you

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

I am quite shaken and disturbed by the juxtaposition of the concepts of "Solution" and "eugenics" in two consecutive posts. Various pogroms throughout history have ultimately caused nothing but bigger and worse troubles...

Your Unrelenting Nonrevisionist,
Rover

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

"I try to be cynical, but it's hard to keep up." Lilly Tomlin
This is a fascinating thread. I think the whole key to misanthropy is held in on of Des Lewis' posts, but he didn't go into it.
The play "The Misanthrope" is not about omeone who is really a misanthrope. It's the story of a man who pretends to be a misanthrope so that he can "cherche les femmes" on the sly. His duplicity is the dramatic mainspring of the play.
From observation I have come to believe that misanthropes of whatever degree are people who haven't caught on to the basic dishonesty of most social activities. In almost every social situation outright lies are told, important information is left out or distorted, buttons are being pushed and/or hidden agendas are at play. Now, some of our friends are honest, but these other factors are in play much of the time. Sometimes we're forced into it ourselves. Maybe we have to be nice to the boss or a co-worker where we would rather feed them ground glass. That's just one sample.
Misanthropes have never gotten over the fact that most folks aren't half as honest as they are. ("If I knew she was really like that I wouldn't have married her," he cried. That's why she didn't let you know what she was rweally like until you got married, I wanted to say.)
Being rational most misanthropes forget that most others use words as either tools or weapons to fulfil their needs and passions. The subtext is much more important than tha actual words for most human beings. Even the most rational have their quirks and can turn very emotional if the right buttons are pushed or some opportunity presents itself.
I know that I've certainly had my moments.
Until I get to know someone I listen to their actions much more than I listen to their words. What they do speaks much louder than what they say. Sooner or later everyone reveals their true selves. Sometimes they have a good self, but even then there may be one area where they weird out. (I'm a Federal Cop and I work with some people who think that Richard Nixon was innocent and that Ronald Reagan was the best president this country ever had! "Better than Lincoln! Better than Washington!" I just shake my head.)
I'm with Spotbowzerfido2 about euthanasia. Part of it is, considering my job, I'd be #1 on someone's list somewhere. (Definitely my ex-wife's list.) Whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, we're all humans (and dogs) and we're all in the same boat. I know I shouldn't decide anything important like who should live and who should die. I would make lots of mistakes. If I make a mistake at work maybe a few more pounds of cocaine end up on the streets of Los Angeles. Who would even notice? But, making life and death decisions? Not me.
I think that misanthropes, and those who have such tendencies, need to learn to read the disconnect between what most people say and what they do. It is a sad wisdom, true, but it will cut down on a lot of anger that it appears to me that they are carrying around inside them.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

That's the story of my life, Mr D. Ever hanging never to drop.
I have held 'The Intentional Fallacy' in religious awe for most of my adult life. For me this is the essence of misanthropic disengagement. Even Moliere couldn't get past that barrier. Most interesting post, thanks.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

Yes, good post, Mr. D.

For my own part, as I've probably said elsewhere, I think the "scratch a cynic..." cliché holds true. Lies and pretenses offend my idealism, although, of course, I wouldn't be so offended if I didn't behave the same way as everyone else. (I sometimes consider disposing of my ideals, but it's difficult to do.) I think, for the "genuine" misanthrope, the hatred and distrust begin at home and are only mirrored in the masses.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

GSC, I for one had no thoughts of that kind of solution. Though I would be in favor of some sanctions on birfin' babies. I don't think we should use the old rhetoric of "He could have been the next Beethoven" or such crap.

Mr. D (is that the name? I can't view it now)...I liked your post this morning but it wore on me throughout the day. Without nailing it precisely or rereading, I'd just say I got the impression we misanthropists aren't being allowed to say "All these other people who're always subtexting and ####, they suck -- yeah, we accept it...and they suck!"

Anyway, I also feel that's not so much the big thing that makes one a misanthropist.

Re: For the misanthropes...
 

Well, I don't consider myself a misanthrope as I am just a bit too much of a Buddhist by nature. But I really want to throw down - this is a GREAT thread.

We all have reactions to people or things or situations that can be considered emotional reactions. Something happens to us and we experience an emotional response. These emotional reactions stir up a lot of stuff in us and we naturally look to the person or thing that caused the reactions as an explanation of why we behaved the way we did. So when I'm on the freeway and someone cuts me off - I assume that the idiot on the road is the reason that I had the anger reaction.

BUT - what you need to remember is that, outside of you, everything is neutral -neither good, nor bad. Overpopulation, war, famine, that guy that cut me off, etc., etc. are completely NEUTRAL in terms of the world - neither good nor bad.

So if you are getting angry because of humanity, or the world, or whatever, you are committing the rather disempowering act of assigning good or bad to outside things. Overpopulation may be bad for you but it's good for Catholics! So overpopulation, by itself, is neither good nor bad, if it was one or the other then everyone would agree that it is either good or bad. The same can be said of driving, your irritating boss, and many other day to day stressors.

Taking complete ownership and responsibility for how you perceive the world is a challenging thing - to not blame others for the situations we find ourselves in is very challenging for us humans, as we have been trained for years to blame others for our problems. Your mom blamed your dad so why shouldn't you blame the world for your woes.

I love and embrace every power mad republican, atheist, christian, moslem, jew, palestinian, martian, green lizard, gray lizard, liberal, conservative, pinko, reactionary, terrorist in the world, because they are neither good nor bad, they just are. As soon as I realize this and take responsibility to my reaction to said stimuli, then I become the power, I become the one that chooses my reaction to things, I am the winner, because I take nothing personally.

Whew

alec...