Misanthropy Test: How Cynical Are You Really?

There are people who genuinely and without remorse call themselves misanthropes. Their dislike for humanity borders on a pathological phobia. But what if your revulsion towards the crowd is merely a defensive mechanism, and not true misanthropy? We offer a quiz that will help determine the degree of your misanthropy and see if this trait has crossed into the realm of clinical disorders.

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Who Are the Misanthropes?

Well then, let’s break it down. A misanthrope is a person harboring a steadfast aversion and mistrust towards the entire human race. The causes of misanthropy can be diverse – from a difficult childhood to disillusionment in adult life. Usually, misanthropes see only vices and immorality in others. They are convinced that people cannot be trusted, that everyone without exception pursues only selfish interests.

Paradoxically, but true: many great minds of the past were outspoken misanthropes. Let’s recall Diogenes, the cynic, who walked with a lantern in broad daylight searching for a “true Human” (with a capital H). Or Schopenhauer, the German philosopher who despised most commoners for the limitations of their consciousness. Even Dostoevsky, a Christian and visionary, noted the “immense vileness” concealed behind people’s respectable facade. So misanthropy is the affliction of the great and misunderstood, not a sign of mental unhealthiness.

Unique Traits of Misanthropes

The characteristic traits of misanthropes are considered to be unsociability, avoidance of society, and misanthropic humor (that is, humor that is caustic and mercilessly mocks human vices). Personal traits include criticism, excessive demands on others, and elevated moral expectations. As a rule, misanthropes are very observant and perspicacious in exposing hypocrisy and dissembling.

On the other hand, an insecure person may simply use misanthropy as a mask to conceal their complexes. In this case, the demonstrative dislike of humanity is nothing more than a way to protect a fragile self-esteem. For it is much easier to accuse the “immoral world” of all sins than to acknowledge one’s own weaknesses.

You’d be surprised, but there is a certain poetry in misanthropy. The alienation of misanthropes fuels their creative power, endowing them with a philosophical view of things. Being one foot outside of society, the misanthropic thinkers had a clear view of the flaws of civilization. So misanthropy is a kind of protest and an act of civil disobedience, a rebellion of the free individual against the herd mentality of the commoners.

9 Signs That You Are a Misanthrope

Here are nine sure signs that misanthropy has become not just a stance for you, but a true way of life:

1. You Shun Companies and Prefer Solitude

Company for a misanthrope is an endurance test. There are too many irritating factors: talkativeness, close contact, the need to pretend and “play a role” to meet society’s expectations. It’s much easier to remain alone, abiding in silence and peace. You rarely make new acquaintances and have difficulty parting with old attachments.

2. You Like Domestic Pets Better Than People

Domestic pets can also be part of the “chosen few” whose lives are not poisoned by cynicism and lies. They do not dissemble, scheme, or plot intrigues. With them, you can behave uninhibitedly, without fear of judgment or condemnation.

3. You Find Flattery and Sycophancy Disgusting

You cannot stand obsequiousness and fawning. Flatterers and toadies seem like worms to you, unworthy of respect. You prefer harsh truth to saccharine lies, even if that candor wounds and offends. You will not tolerate those who are petty and mean-spirited.

4. You Adhere to Strict Moral Principles

Ethical norms for you are not empty sounds or conventions, but something fundamental. You strictly follow your rules, even if they contradict generally accepted norms. Insincerity, hypocrisy, pretense, and idle chatter evoke in you a mixture of disgust and revulsion.

5. You Are Skeptical of Popular Opinions

Conformism and herd mentality are, in your view, the domain of the weak-spirited. You distrust authorities, with rare exceptions recognizing their right to shape public opinion. You are ready to question any idea. Your skepticism extends even to well-established scientific theories.

6. You Ironize and Mock Human Vices

Irony, grotesquerie, satire, sarcasm – these are your main weapons for exposing human folly. You lay bare double standards, hypocrisy, and narrow-mindedness with brilliance.

7. Society Irritates and Oppresses You

The crowd seems to you the embodiment of all that is base and vulgar. Its conventions, mores, and rituals plunge you into deep melancholy. You are tormented by the thought that you are surrounded by mediocrities who are petty in spirit and incapable of depth of feeling. Sometimes society literally oppresses you, and you need solitude to breathe the oxygen of freedom anew.

8. You Ponder the Absurdity of Human Existence

The futility of existence and the meaninglessness of many human pursuits are no secret to you. You often immerse yourself in existential reflections on the fleetingness of life and the inevitability of death. Hence your disdainful and condescending attitude toward the pursuit of money, fame, and pleasures. You prefer higher truth to the tinsel of external goods.

9. You Do Not Trust People and Consider Them Deceitful

Your disillusionment with your neighbor is so great that you are literally seething with cynicism and bile. The pettiness and greed of people, their capacity for betrayal and perfidy, leave not a stone unturned of your former illusions. In your worldview, people appear as hypocrites and pretenders, ready to do anything for their own benefit. This engenders a bitter feeling of loneliness and misunderstanding.

Closing Words on the Misanthropy Test

Well, having read this list, many of you will likely realize whether or not you have the signs of a misanthrope. However, do not take this as a diagnosis. Perhaps your skepticism and mistrust are merely a defensive reaction, not a chronic illness. You can determine the degree of your misanthropy by taking our test. It will help you understand your own feelings and decide whether to seek treatment for your dislike of humanity. For sometimes misanthropy is the only way to retain one’s sanity in a mad world. So, start the quiz and keep us posted on the results!