Misanthropy Test: How Cynical Are You Really?

Have you ever found yourself avoiding social situations, feeling irritated by others, or having a general dislike for humanity? If so, you may be experiencing misanthropy, and taking a misanthropy test can help you understand the extent to which this personality trait affects you.

Misanthropy, which is the extreme alienation from people, has always existed, but in the last hundred to hundred and fifty years, its followers have become much more numerous, and this can be easily explained: over this period, humanity has committed such a monstrous amount of mistakes, which it probably did throughout its entire previous history, and some of them could have become fatal.

Misanthropes are individuals who exhibit an extreme level of distrust and hatred towards people. Often, this brings misanthropes genuine enjoyment; however, in other cases, misanthropes suffer from their feelings but cannot do anything about it.

If you have started to wonder if this state could be inherent in you and want to delve deeper into this issue, then this test will help you determine if you are a misanthrope or not. In this test, you will learn about the signs and manifestations of misanthropy, which will help you understand your feelings and attitudes towards the people around you.

The Unique Characteristics of Misanthropes

Misanthropes do not strive to lead a social life, do not have an active life position, and their contacts with others are minimal. Misanthropes exhibit distrust and suspicion towards most people. The subject of misanthrope’s aversion are the most common and prevalent human weaknesses and vices; if an ordinary person accepts them as a given (although capable of correction), for a misanthrope, they are a reason to sever all ties with the outside world.

As a result, misanthropes are characterized by sensitivity, impulsiveness, and anger. They often suffer from depression.

Interestingly, taking quizzes can help combat misanthropy. Research has shown that participating in intellectual games such as quizzes can improve mood and reduce feelings of loneliness. Perhaps this is because during the game, a person feels a sense of connection with other participants and feels like a part of a community.

Misanthropy can manifest in certain mental illnesses, personality disorders, as well as in people who have experienced serious psychological trauma in early childhood. In the case where a person does not have any mental deviations, misanthropy develops into an entire philosophy. Some well-known misanthropes were outstanding individuals such as writers, philosophers, and others.

«You call me a misanthrope because I avoid society. You err; I love society. Yet in order not to hate people, I must avoid their company.»

― Caspar David Friedrich

It’s important not to confuse misanthropy with autism. A person who is misanthropic and withdrawn still has “normal” communication skills, and they can understand and explain the reasons why they have turned away from society. Typically, misanthropes maintain meaningful relationships with people, but the number of these people is small. In this sense, a misanthrope exhibits exceptional selectivity: they will only maintain contact with someone who meets their standards in most regards. So a misanthrope is more like a philosophical introvert than an autistic person.

How to Find Out if I’m a Misanthrope Using a Test

Since misanthropy is often confused with similar conditions, it sometimes happens that a person incorrectly identifies themselves as a misanthrope. Misanthropy often manifests itself in the form of dislike for people, but can also be expressed in various other behaviors that can be identified through answers to a misanthropy test. So how do you know if you are a true misanthrope? You need to observe your own behavior. Here are some signs from this misanthropy test that indicate a true hater:

1. Misanthropes avoid live communication with people. They prefer to communicate with their interlocutors in written form; nowadays this is usually messaging in social networks. This is very convenient: there is no need to answer a question immediately – you can refer to urgent matters, you can ignore a question without serious consequences for yourself, and a misanthrope’s sharp statements will not lead to a fight – and, therefore, no need to touch the interlocutor.
2. In public transport, a misanthrope prefers to sit separately from others. Of course, this is not always possible. Being in close proximity to other passengers, such a person feels strong discomfort. If there is no opportunity to completely isolate oneself, they try to sit next to a window or a wall, in which case they can turn away and not see those sitting nearby.
   The same applies to elevators. Misanthropes generally do not like riding in them. It is impossible to turn away and visually isolate oneself from other passengers here, and the elevator cabin is very small. A neighbor can cause a storm of sincere hatred in a misanthrope just because they have been riding together in the same elevator for too long.
3. A misanthrope experiences relief when important plans with their participation are cancelled, even if it is a party in the company of close people. For such a person, it is always preferable to be alone with themselves.
   Taking tests can be useful for misanthropes, as they prefer solitude and intellectual pursuits. Quizzes can help them learn something new and interesting without leaving their comfort zone.
4. In every person he meets, a misanthrope sees mainly flaws. Weaknesses, vices, mistakes – these are the first things he pays attention to when meeting someone. It’s understandable, because even with his best friends, a misanthrope criticizes them for various reasons.
5. A misanthrope is afraid of any manifestations of poor health. For example, if someone sneezes in a crowd. Such a person believes that by their nature, people tend to spread only harm, so his reaction to sneezing, coughing, and other manifestations of possible illness is quite understandable. A misanthrope strives to move away from that place or loudly expresses his anger.
6. The hatred towards people is a favorite topic of conversation among misanthropes. They can talk for hours about why they are annoyed by those around them, and they enjoy discussing the flaws of mutual acquaintances, digging into the ‘dirty laundry’ of celebrities.
7. A misanthrope constantly criticizes society, especially for stupid actions. They are puzzled by how humanity can even exist, constantly making stupid actions – meaningless, destructive, causing only suffering. Many foolish things seem so obvious to them that they become even more disappointed in people – because they don’t even notice or understand such simple things.
   Despite their skepticism towards people, misanthropes can show interest in intellectual entertainment. For example, they can be interested in solving puzzles, playing chess, or taking tests. After all, for such people, it is more important not to communicate with people, but to have the opportunity to demonstrate their intelligence and abilities.
8. Misanthropes usually hate children. They consider human reproduction a crime, and newborns and young children evoke in them either a physiological disgust or a panic. While adolescents and adults may have some semblance of reason, infants have none at all, and their behavior is entirely composed of foolishness, it is unpredictable and harmful: children scatter things around, break dishes, play with sharp objects, matches, make a lot of noise.
9. Some misanthropes express their hatred not towards everyone in general, but towards certain groups of people. The most common targets of their hatred are women, men, old people, and children. Misanthropes have an extremely negative attitude towards representatives of these groups, do not consider them as full-fledged human beings, and advocate for limiting their rights and freedoms.

If you notice at least some of the listed signs in yourself, then you are probably a true misanthrope. But don’t jump to conclusions and accuse yourself of it right away. Try taking the misanthrope test and find out how much you really fit this personality type. Perhaps you will discover something new about yourself and your habits. However, remember that you should not rely on the test results 100%, as it is just a tool for self-analysis.

Love and Hate: A Comparison to a Quiz

It was noted above that a negative experience, psychological trauma, can be a source of misanthropy. But such a strong reaction does not arise out of nowhere. Even ancient philosophers noted that hatred of people arises from excessive trust and love for them. Those who blindly and recklessly believe in any ideals usually catastrophically perceive their collapse.

The loss of love for people is perceived as a loss of meaning in life. Therefore, correcting and overcoming misanthropy is a complex process. Even if there are certain successes, at any moment a misanthrope can “relapse” and close himself off again: the trace of traumatic experiences in early age sits deep in the subconscious.

In light of the above, the process of correcting misanthropy can be compared to a quiz where each correct answer is a small victory, but not a guarantee of ultimate victory. Similarly, each small step towards overcoming misanthropy is a victory that brings a person closer to healthy relationships with those around them.

Closing Words

The very word ‘misanthrope’ originated from the work of the ancient writer Lucian of Samosata. His protagonist is a rich and noble man named Timon – a popular character in ancient Greek literature and folklore. Timon used to love people and bestowed them with his wealth. Soon, flatterers and deceivers turned away from him. That’s when Timon became disillusioned with the human race, began to hate it, and went into voluntary exile. He soon found treasure and decided that the gods were showing their sympathy towards him. Timon came up with a new name for himself – Misanthrope. Obviously, Lucian himself was not a stranger to such thoughts since misanthropy in his work is justified.

Don’t be alarmed by this label and rush to see a psychologist, as it is just one of many personality traits. Many well-known figures have been misanthropes, such as Sherlock Holmes, the main character of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels. This suggests that misanthropes can possess high intelligence and deep erudition. Based on this, it might be interesting to compare your knowledge in the Street Smart vs Book Smart quiz.