We've lost our faith in humanity.

[TheSnarkKnight]

Well, alright, fair point. I take the stuff about Nazis back.

Are you saying you've lost your faith in humanity to reach its potential, and that you're upset that it resigns itself to being rather flawed?

Btw, I don't believe people are peaceful, open-minded, or accepting at all. I probably think humanity is as flawed as you think it is. But imo it's our unchangeable nature to be the way we are, and that we haven't gotten one bit better or worse than we were during feudalism or slavery or the Enlightenment or the 60s or w/e. We just have new laws and social/cultural standards.

So I see people who claim they've lost their faith in humanity as people who've either had an irrational faith in the first place (what is it that they believed humanity can do? Create a utopia? Was their faith grounded in any reality?), or are expecting more out of humanity than it can offer (and are probably no better than the humanity they despise nor are capable of being better than that).

The worst thing is, when they say "I've lost my faith in humanity" in response to some stupid news story about some event that is nowhere close to as bad as humanity can get. I always think, "are you kidding? You lost your faith in humanity because some guy beat his daughter? In a world where people kill each other by the million, you're disappointed because some jerk beat his daughter?"

Though, I'm not talking about you in that case. I'm just curious though, do you actually maintain that faith in humanity, and continually lose it and gain it again every day (else, you'd only be able to say "I've lost my faith in humanity" once in your life)? It seems...odd, for someone who is aware how lousy humanity is.

edit: sorry if I sound like a jerk/overly aggressive. I'm not trying to be; I just get pretty miffed at the whole lose-faith-in-humanity thing

See, I'm not sure I agree. I think we have got better, in a sense. We're more open-minded and accepting and more prone to fairness. However, it's a bit like if there's a dude who murders, lies, cheats, steals and generally acts like a dick. If, one day, he stopped murdering dudes, you'd say it was definitely an improvement, but you wouldn't exactly consider him a good person now, and overlook the bad stuff he was still doing, just because he'd stopped with the killing.

Of course, this depends what you mean by humanity. I'm guessing you mean basic human nature, come to think of it. We're basically the same people as back then, only the social norms around us are stopping us from being as douchey as we once were. Which is fair enough, because that's my problem. We HAVEN'T learnt a lesson from our barbaric past. There's no civil rights movement to end all civil rights movement, as it were. We didn't become more accepting when we stopped with the institutionalised racism; racial minorities were just taken off the list of people we were allowed to be intollerant towards.

At times I wonder what, if anything, can break this cycle. What can change the nature of mankind, so to speak. It's here that my loss of faith comes from, every time I almost dare to believe that humans are fundamentally good, I'm reminded of their pettiness and stupidity. I don't believe a utopia is possible, but I don't think that's an excuse for not striving to make the world one. Just because I can't be the nicest, bestest, kindest person ever, doesn't mean I shouldn't TRY to be a good person, and I guess that's all I'm really asking of humanity, that it at least puts in a little effort into being decent.

Yeah, see, if I heard about someone beating their daughter I'd be "wtf, dude" and wouldn't blame humanity as a whole. If, however, I went online and a bunch of dudes were saying that his daughter probably had it coming... that's when I would start to think of humanity being terrible. As for people time and again losing their faith in humanity, well, I don't know... It's like being married to a serial adulterer, every time you think about giving humanity a second chance, of giving it the benefit of the doubt, it lets you down again.

Also, no worries about coming off as aggressive or a jerk, I know how easy it is to get angry over stuff, especially when you're debating with someone online.

Seems like you just need to divorce the adulteress, and stop believing that humans are capable of being better than they are now

The cycle isn't going to break, it'll just change between racism to religious wars to nationalism to systems of government (capitalism/communism) to opposing other cultures who "are against our way of life," and people will swallow it up every time while the leaders on top profit from it. And people will continue to be ignorant of other cultures and religions, and develop hate from their ignorance, because it's really impossible to learn about everything beyond a surface level of understanding, and people are too lazy to do so anyway.

Wow, sounds like someone's lost their faith in humanity. Or maybe they just didn't have a whole lot to start with.

Heh, but yeah, whilst it's tempting to give into your cynicism, I think we can strive to be better; we'll probably always have stupidity, but the effects of it can be minimised.

 

[dyre]

Wow, sounds like someone's lost their faith in humanity. Or maybe they just didn't have a whole lot to start with.

Heh, but yeah, whilst it's tempting to give into your cynicism, I think we can strive to be better; we'll probably always have stupidity, but the effects of it can be minimised.

sounds like someone actually has a ton of faith in humanity

and well, I think humanity has lots of good stuff too; I just don't think the bad stuff is going to change

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

It's just a phrase people! Why does everyone take things so goddamn literally? It makes me lose faith in humanity.

Also, just because you don't approve of misanthropy doesn't mean everyone who subscribes to it is an ignorant child.

EDIT: This "superiority" thing is just getting hilarious. We have a group of people who think they are superior to another group because they think that that group is trying to feel superior by making humanity out to be generally inferior. And then there is me, who feels superior to the first group because I feel I realized that they are just doing same thing to make themselves feel superior.
And then, another person is going to come along and find flaws in what I said so that they-
Oh, fuck it.

Lol "feeling superior" has nothing to do with it.

Actually it does. I would provide more of an argument, but feel no need to do so, why should I?

 

[TheSnarkKnight]

Wow, sounds like someone's lost their faith in humanity. Or maybe they just didn't have a whole lot to start with.

Heh, but yeah, whilst it's tempting to give into your cynicism, I think we can strive to be better; we'll probably always have stupidity, but the effects of it can be minimised.

sounds like someone actually has a ton of faith in humanity

and well, I think humanity has lots of good stuff too; I just don't think the bad stuff is going to change

Heh, touche, touche.

 

[Slick Samurai]

This curious bug has climbed out of the cracks again?

Hrm, I though it crushed for sure.

I have stated on many numerous occasions (read; threads) by stance on such a viewpoint, and I will inform you curious readers that it has not differed. I was born with utter faith in humanity, and I will die with utter devotion to my species. Also, preferably in a tub of lime jello at the age of 100.

I thought it curious that my peers have machinated that humanity is stupid or evil (Indeed, I recall creating a thread of that title once upon a time), but then I became aware of the root of beliefs.

Happiness.

That's right, curious readers who have taken an interest in reading my entire post (I'm quite impressed by your literacy!), happiness is the root of all wants, desires, morals and justifications. Why, my literate reader, why are you reading this post? Are you curious on the notions I am implying? No doubt you have taken an interest, and fulfilling that interest will grant you a portion of happiness (a large portion I hope!).

Why does a serial killer slay his victims? Because he can find happiness in a place we cannot. Vice versa, he cannot find happiness in some things that satisfy us. His nature has changed his morals and he has to find his happiness, the thing every living human craves, in something that our morals forbid.

Why does a random passerby drop what he can in a collection box for a leukemia collection? It is most likely that his morals dictate that was in a degree of accordance with what he believes to be his ideal act. This makes his view of self-worth rise, and he finds happiness in his actions. So does he donate to help people? Is he truly selfless?

Yes, and no.

He donated to help people, but only because he knew that was what his morals dictated was the right thing to do, and he found that if he did the right thing, his happiness would also increase.

So you see, everyone is out to be happy. No matter how much you try to demonize or de-humanize a fellow human being, we all have the same end goal.

Happiness.

That's why I have utter faith in my species, and will continue to do so. Because my morals dictate that it is the right thing to do.

Now I want you, dear reader, to go back and read that again in a John Cleese voice.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I, too, have not lost faith in humanity, for I am surrounded by good and honest people who look out for each other and only do what they believe is best and right.

My only complain/concern is that, as a species, we have come to a standstill in the progression of our existence. Many are more concerned with making life easier rather than better, many have lost their intellectual curiosity before they have surpassed puberty, many seem contempt with living in ignorance, and many are restricted by their own government on what they are allowed and capable of doing.

Being a good individual doesn't cut in the world anymore. A good individual must now gain respect from a large following, command monetary resources, and acquire some political power in order to even have their voice heard.

 

[severtson]

Have found somebody like me who don't wanna live on this planet. lol
Have to say that I something really dislike people here, felt so sad of those who only know to get more from others but not giving more out. We lost faith? I don't know, but I can't say that if people keep their greed like this. Nothing will satisfy us at the end. God is watching us.

 

[severtson]

Personal opinion..no offend.