To save this word, you'll need to log in. The word misanthrope is human to the core—literally. It is one of several English words beginning with mis- from Greek misein "to hate" naming persons who despise something or someone. The most familiar example nowadays is misogynist , used of a person who hates women. Send us feedback. Sign Up Dictionary Entries near misanthrope misanalysis misandrist misandry misanthrope misanthropic misanthropism misanthropist. Accessed 16 Aug. Keep scrolling for more More Definitions for misanthrope misanthrope.
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Some narcissists are ostentatiously generous - they donate to charity, lavish gifts on their closest, abundantly provide for their nearest and dearest, and, in general, are open-handed and unstintingly benevolent. How can this be reconciled with the pronounced lack of empathy and with the pernicious self-preoccupation that is so typical of narcissists? The act of giving enhances the narcissist's sense of omnipotence, his fantastic grandiosity, and the contempt he holds for others. It is easy to feel superior to the supplicating recipients of one's largesse. Narcissistic altruism is about exerting control and maintaining it by fostering dependence in the beneficiaries. The narcissist flaunts his charitable nature as a bait. He impresses others with his selflessness and kindness and thus lures them into his lair, entraps them, and manipulates and brainwashes them into subservient compliance and obsequious collaboration. People are attracted to the narcissist's larger than life posture - only to discover his true personality traits when it is far too late. This does not prevent the narcissist from assuming the role of the exploited victim.
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Caveat Reader: This is 4 in a series about what our philanthropy field might offer in the current political context. Charity shows that we care for our fellow human beings, especially those who are in need. And to be sure, need comes in many forms: health, welfare, hunger, physical safety to mention some basics. Every society, every society, has a form of charity since it is unthinkable for the vast majority of us that we willfully allow those in our midst to suffer. Indeed, the first stage of philanthropy is typically compassion.
A misanthrope dislikes the human race and avoids human society as far as possible. Misanthrope is from the classical Greek misanthropos. It shares with misogyny and a few other words a beginning from misein , to hate. The second part is from anthropos , a human being, which we also have in words such as anthropology. From the same source, philanthropy is the opposite of misanthropy, literally a love of mankind that expresses itself in active efforts to help other people. History and fiction record many misanthropes. The most famous real person was Timon, though strictly speaking we have to take the word of a couple of classical Greek writers that he actually existed. He is said to have lived in Athens in the fifth century BC and became known as Timon Misanthropos because he turned against people after he lost his fortune through being too generous to his friends and had to earn a living as an agricultural labourer. His story was taken up by William Shakespeare; around , in collaboration with Thomas Middleton, he wrote what is probably his least popular play, Timon of Athens :.
