It doesn't even have to involve religion, but have you ever had a moment where something so shocking happened to you that you lost faith in your fellow mankind?
I've never been the most social guy in the world, I speak with an awkward deep voice that freaks people who don't know me out, and it tends not to carry the weight or emotion that words I type do. This being the case, I didn't have a lot of friends, instead opting for a close highly trusted group of friends that I could be myself around.
Among these two were my best friends, one male one female. We were particularly close, we three. Didn't do everything together but we hung out a lot, and we all had common ground, having similar goals in life and similar viewpoints on religion.
Eventually my female friend and I started dating, it didn't last long, but we pledged to be friends afterwards, and for a while we were. Then one night my male friend tells me he's going to see the new Star trek movie with his brother, it was a late showing so I fell asleep before he could send a text about what he thought of it. (I asked him too because I recommended the movie, I liked it a lot)
The next morning I checked my phone to see two texts, one from him one from her, ten minutes apart both saying the movie was amazing. They had gone together and lied to me about it.
I ended up confronting her when I found more evidence and she got angry, needless to say, I ended my friendship with both of them, people whom I trusted more than anyone else.
That was my moment, when I was suddenly shocked into the state of cynicism and distrust of new people that I have now. Say what you will about it, I was young, it was just a high school relationship blah blah blah, that's not the point.
the point is, have you ever had a moment involving something where you truly lost your faith in your fellow man if only briefly, or even permanently?
Yes I have! I've only had one real friend in my life besides my wife and he moved away. And when I found out I couldn't trust my wife after 20 years of marriage I don't trust anyone anymore. Every single person I have been a friend with has been a friend in need is a friend indeed except the one that moved. Solitary
Quote from: "GrinningYMIR"the point is, have you ever had a moment involving something where you truly lost your faith in your fellow man if only briefly, or even permanently?
Lost my faith in the person who betrayed me? I've led a relatively long life, and been betrayed more than once, so of course.
Allowed that to shake my faith in humanity as a whole? No.
Of course, most people aren't worth trust or respect, but that doesn't ever make me believe that no one does. There's a lot more mud in the world than there is clean white cloth - but there IS some clean white cloth, and no amount of mud will ever convince me otherwise.
Yes. I still prefer dogs to humans.
Quote from: "GrinningYMIR"the point is, have you ever had a moment involving something where you truly lost your faith in your fellow man if only briefly, or even permanently?
Near-permanently. I'm working on being more trusting, but I've been burned so many times that dishonesty is the first thing I look for in people. And I watch people far more carefully then I let on.
QuoteI've never been the most social guy in the world, I speak with an awkward deep voice that freaks people who don't know me out, and it tends not to carry the weight or emotion that words I type do. This being the case, I didn't have a lot of friends, instead opting for a close highly trusted group of friends that I could be myself around.
Same. My default facial expression is something akin to scowling. And a personality that can most accurately be described as cold and emotionally distant. So yeah, not so great at the friends game. But similarly, what few relationships I do have are highly valued.
Quote from: "Minimalist"Yes. I still prefer dogs to humans.
Replace dogs with cats and you have my view on this.
Not sure I had any faith in humanity to begin with...
Quote from: "Jason78"Not sure I had any faith in humanity to begin with...
I don't have faith in humanity. Good Grief! Just look around and what do you see? Sure there are intelligent caring people here and there, but they are mostly ignored by the masses, who are more ignorant than smart, more selfish than compassionate, ruled by their emotions, irrational, and easily manipulated by those in power. Watch reruns of the Jerry Springer Show for a good look at mankind. Read the user comments that follow Yahoo News articles.
Faith that he will do what exactly? "Faith in humanity" is a feel good phrase that we parrot to ourselves to avoid appearing rational enough be appropriately cynical about our future. I have no idea where mankind is going. I would like to think he is destined for greatness as much as the next person, but logically I have to accept that this is a hope, rather than an observation of things as they are.
I have no faith in humanity as a whole, but I have very high faith in my ability to pinpoint the few people worth associating with.
And so far, that seems to be working out reasonably well. There are amazing people out there, and they are worth the risk of getting hurt. But you need a keen eye to pick them out from the masses. And you will be an outcast for associating with them, because nobody in the norm is worth your time.
Every time I hear people misrepresenting and spreading misinformation about scientific facts they've never bothered to try to understand.... It's only reestablished when I see genuine acts of kindness, because they're so unexpected and rare.
celebrity big brother just started in finland, i'll try not to lose my faith in humanity(eg. staying away from tv, now of all times) but indirect contamination already swayed me a bit.
In general, people suck. Some don't, but mostly, they just plain suck.
Quote from: "Jmpty"In general, people suck. Some don't, but mostly, they just plain suck.
This reminds me of the 'what do you do for a living' thread. The biggest problem with most of the jobs I've had has been other people. The work itself has been generally fine.
No, but I have faith that people are assholes and they never disappoint.
Isn't faith that magical word for believing in things there is no evidence that they exist? Humanity is what it is for better or worse. The word humanity doesn't imply neither good nor bad, just that humans exist and I don't need faith to know humans exist.
I'm a cynical misanthropist. But, I can't remember any particular act by humans which made me so. Maybe it is a cumulative effect, which is why so many old people are cynical. :-k
Quote from: "LikelyToBreak"I'm a cynical misanthropist. But, I can't remember any particular act by humans which made me so. Maybe it is a cumulative effect, which is why so many old people are cynical. :-k
Yeah. It's like how when a couple first gets together, he finds it endearing that she refuses to replace the toilet paper roll and just puts a roll on top of the tank. But after a few years, he's worn down and they have fights like it's world war three over fucking toilet paper.
The world doesn't really change that much, and as a whole the quality of human life is much better than it has been in the past, so if I "lose faith in humanity" or have a negative, pessimistic outlook I take it as a red flag that there is something going on with me that I need to address. I can't change the world but I can change my own mood, attitude and behavior.
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Isn't faith that magical word for believing in things there is no evidence that they exist? Humanity is what it is for better or worse. The word humanity doesn't imply neither good nor bad, just that humans exist and I don't need faith to know humans exist.
Yeah, faith in humanity be it optimistic or pessimistic is irrelevant. For every example of man's goodness, you can point to something repugnant. I suppose you could make some kind of score card out of that, but it would be pretty subjective. There isn't much to support either kind of faith.
Yes, many times, but I always get back mainly due to the fact that smart people do exist and at least some of us are improving. I have a very high bar for friendship, if someone is not on my intellectual level AND shares similar interests AND a similar standard of only letting certain people in their circle I will not be friends with them. I just made a friend here at Howard, but only because she surpassed my high barrier.
Once in awhile, I'll read a story about wonderful people doing wonderful things, and I'll think, "Maybe there IS hope for the human race, after all, and we won't just keep evolving into increasingly mean and selfish pricks." I mean, wars have decreased, crime has decreased, health care and sanitation are better, people are living longer because of better pre- and post-natal care.... but people in general are still a bunch of assholes. I have NEVER liked being around people. Even as a child, I preferred being alone, and I liked animals better than humans. I always thought there was something wrong with me. Everyone else seemed so outgoing and they liked people and had loads of friends. I was an introvert and one of the reasons I hated school is because it required me to be around people that I didn't like and who didn't like me.
As an adult, I insist on working in the kitchen of my work place because I am so utterly fed up with humans with their stupid demands and whining complaints, that I can't bear the idea of working at the cash registers or in the deli. Occasionally, I'll help out in the deli if they're really busy, but after 10 minutes I am stressing out. I worked in customer service at different places and I'm SICK of it. I can't stand people. I have very few friends, and I trust them with my life; other than that, people in general can suck the dick I don't have.
I've had fantasies of being the last man alive, but it always smells bad from all the rotting corpses. People are people and they vary greatly. Some skinny, some fat, some tall, some short,...the list goes on and on.
To just toss everyone into the same pot isn't exactly inviting cooperation from others so I deal with humanity on a case by case basis. I enjoy the good ones and avoid the rotten ones just like food..
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"I've had fantasies of being the last man alive, but it always smells bad from all the rotting corpses.
"The last man on Earth sat on a chair. There was a knock on the door. ..." Fredrick Brown, I think. Pretty good story too. (Your line reminded me of it.)
Quote from: "ApostateLois"As an adult, I insist on working in the kitchen of my work place because I am so utterly fed up with humans with their stupid demands and whining complaints, that I can't bear the idea of working at the cash registers or in the deli. Occasionally, I'll help out in the deli if they're really busy, but after 10 minutes I am stressing out. I worked in customer service at different places and I'm SICK of it. I can't stand people. I have very few friends, and I trust them with my life; other than that, people in general can suck the dick I don't have.
Did cashier for a long time.
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Customer service is hell.
I have lost faith in humans due to their behavior many many times in the past. I could literally write 50 pages of posts explaining my experiences and why I have been disapointed by people in a plethora of disgusting ways. It's part of a continual uphill battle, but at this point of my life I've learned to not let what humans do bother me because there's nothing I can do to change stubborn people that refuse to change or grow up in any way. That being said, based on the replies here I think if we all physically interacted with each other, we would get along based on our perceptions of things. Most here seem to have a misanthropic tinge to them based on past negative experiences. That will be like our unifying social trait!
But some replies here are talking about how they think are an exception, people are not on their level, etc. when the same people they think are not on their level are almost guaranteed to think the same about them. Yes I know, you don't care, and I get that. But I think a good way of dealing with people is finding out how they think (even if you don't give a fuck) and finding a solution based on their behaviors, their opinions, etc. It's called playing the game, and it happens everyday, people are trying to deceive one another for their own benefit and from what I've seen it often works, with devastating consequences.
A spiteful social chain runs through all of us, metaphorically speaking. I cannot speak for all of you but another feel I get from these replies is that you all feel you've been wronged in some way shape or form, and you are changed as a result of the experience. Some perhaps may be spiteful or hold in negativity at their past experiences. This multiplies throughout the population, and as a result you get most people.... hating most people. I have observed this my entire life.
There is a strong urge for me right now to let loose and in the process probably break my keyboard while typing so much about this topic. But I think anger and spite is counter productive. I've realized how most people seem to be, I can't change it, all I can do is live my own life.
I have these random moments where I suddenly notice how stupid/pathetic/cruel/selfish/cowardly etc a lot of people are and for a couple minutes I think about it and it blows my mind. Most of the time I am just going through life knowing that these people are all around me but I am desensitized to it. There is no shocking event that makes me "lose faith" , only those times when I suddenly notice again how ugly humankind can get.
It's like when I'm watching a movie and I'm really sucked into what's happening on screen and then suddenly I jolt back into reality and realize that I'm sitting on my couch at home.
Actually, watching Abc's What Would You Do can make me feel really depressed and disappointed in people sometimes.
QuoteCustomer service is hell.
In the last picture, he should be in a strait jacket. :rolleyes:
QuoteBut some replies here are talking about how they think are an exception, people are not on their level, etc. when the same people they think are not on their level are almost guaranteed to think the same about them.
I've met very few people who like customer service. VERY few, like maybe two or three. When you have to deal with grumpy, angry, demanding, selfish customers day after day, it kinda sours your outlook on humans in general. As the days go by, it becomes harder and harder to remember that most people are okay, they just want to buy their shit and get out of the store, it's just the few assholes who make the job unbearable. Since I never liked being around people to begin with, I never found such jobs enjoyable in the least. It's not that I think people are beneath my level, I just don't like being around them. I don't even like shopping in a crowded store, or going to social events very often.
Quote from: "GSOgymrat"The world doesn't really change that much, and as a whole the quality of human life is much better than it has been in the past, so if I "lose faith in humanity" or have a negative, pessimistic outlook I take it as a red flag that there is something going on with me that I need to address. I can't change the world but I can change my own mood, attitude and behavior.
Thanks for mentioning this. There are times when I observe people and see "Idiocracy" the movie becoming a reality. I do wish more people were perceptive and not so mentally lazy. That is what frustrates me about humanity. I do, however, have control over my reactions.
I don't know how to explain my attitude about this. On one hand I've started most years thinking I may well not make it through the year without killing myself. On the other hand I am often grateful for so many of the people I've met and worked with over the years. No matter what job I've had or school I've gone to, I've been welcomed and helped by many. For the sake of accuracy, I have to exclude high school and before.
It really is disturbing the way humans treat each other. People dont like to see success. Love to create suffering.
Oh, hell yes. Multiple times. People can be real dickbags, and in large numbers, to boot.
Man, I saw a guy get his throat slit in a bar over some silly drunken scuffle. Blood everywhere on a dirty floor over a couple of rude words.
Surfing the darker parts of the internet is enough for me to want to go live a solitary life on Mars.
Working customer service jobs will make you want to nuke the planet.
Humanity can really suck balls, sometimes.
But not all the time. But sometimes you just want a new plague.
Virtually everyone gets disappointed or even disillusioned at times with our fellow humans. However, I try very hard to overcome the built in well established self-serving bias in our evaluations of others. We see the speck in the eyes of the other yet not the log in our own, as the passage reads.
As someone mentioned gratitude helps and every day my first action is to record a sentence or two in a gratitude journal. Our interdependence on our fellow man runs so deep that many of the entries connect to people from all eras and arenas of my life history, many people who assisted me in countless ways. In some ways we all suck but keep it in the first person plural and curve the test scores . Just realize we all tend to have our own self-serving biases-ample data on that.
You have all had very thought out answers, and I appreciate that. People give you all kinds of reasons to hate them, but they also give you reasons to love them.
Thank you for responding, all of you.
A list of some things that have made me lose a bit of faith/respect for human kind:
-The use of to instead of too and other total grammar retardation
-hipsters
-TMZ (a show I have seen passing through channels)
-laugh tracks on sitcoms
-brand loyalty
-facebook
-politics
-the pop culture industry
and everyone being a "winner"
Quote from: "PickelledEggs"A list of some things that have made me lose a bit of faith/respect for human kind:
-The use of to instead of too and other total grammar retardation
-hipsters
-TMZ (a show I have seen passing through channels)
-laugh tracks on sitcoms
-brand loyalty
-facebook
-politics
-the pop culture industry
and everyone being a "winner"
If that's all it takes, never visit one of Alex Jones' websites.
Quote from: "Hijiri Byakuren"Quote from: "PickelledEggs"A list of some things that have made me lose a bit of faith/respect for human kind:
-The use of to instead of too and other total grammar retardation
-hipsters
-TMZ (a show I have seen passing through channels)
-laugh tracks on sitcoms
-brand loyalty
-facebook
-politics
-the pop culture industry
and everyone being a "winner"
If that's all it takes, never visit one of Alex Jones' websites.
I had to Google him to remember who he was... :lol:
Yeah. I would put Alex Jones on my list as well... along with other people that blow things out of proportion like that.
I'm pretty vocal about things that frustrate me. I find tolerating things is sort of a lack of respect in some ways.
I guess I'm lucky. I have always seen the shitty died of human behavior, but never become a shit myself. I learned early on how to bounce back from an insult. I've been picked on by people and used by people and now I pick out the best of the best to associate with, and so I have some very good friends (mostly theists). People I love and trust, and who have never betrayed me.
Every time i hear or read about something horrible happening I would lose my faith in humanity for a bit. It is why I do not read the news anymore. It was depressing me too much.