On Misanthropes

In many places, I hear complaints from some about humanity and human nature. I too have been guilty of these complaints times, and have been plagued by the occasional feeling that human society is futile. Thousands upon thousands of years we tread this sphere, and although we have progressed in some ways, we remain apes in others. We still kill, steal, and disagree in a most extraordinarily unproductive manner. We split ourselves into groups and the weak are often harmed by the strong as a result. But must all of this sorrow result in a hatred of humanity?

Although I believe that humans should be responsible for their actions at some level, I honestly believe that a great deal (though certainly not all) violence and cruelty results from confusion and misunderstanding. In the simplest of mathematical systems, peculiarities can arise. Is it so strange to think that something such as evil could would arise systems as complicated as an entire self-aware species, even if that something is not inherent in human behavior? An accident as small as poor communication changes into offense, which turns into rudeness, which morphs into irritation, which results in increased tension that latter snowballs into retaliation. I think that we often have the tendency to blame all the worlds’ ills on individuals, hating others for their ignorant and small minded views. But miscommunication is always between two people, not one. Must individuals hate the masses for a folly in which they themselves partake?

At times, I fail to understand other people, what makes them tick. Some days, I feel that I am surrounded largely by foolish and harmful behavior. But I must realize how limited my vision is! As Sartre said, "What if everyone in the world thought like that?" You see, every individual person separates humanity mentally into two groups—themselves, and everyone else. When I see others hurting each other and themselves, exchanging cruel words, and exaggerating petty differences, my gut reaction is to despise them for their short-sightedness, their self-serving natures. But as I examine myself, I think as thus—I have no reason to think that I am born apart from humanity, an exception to the thoughtlessness that plagues our species. And by definition, if you’re short-sighted, you don’t know it! Who knows what I’ve overlooked, who I’ve hurt, what situations I have failed to react too properly.