Relevant quote here:

Also, "misanthropy" is a term tossed around so much in this fandom that it's lost all meaning. It seems like it basically means "it doesn't portray humans as superior to ponies," even if they're portrayed as equal or in no worse a position than Spike.

I'm actually inclined to agree with this person because several times I've seen people say that a story is misanthropic because Humans = Ponies — and that's it. Hell, I've been guilty of it myself a few times.

However, I do take a little issue with saying that Humans being portrayed in roughly the same position as Spike isn't an issue. As seen in the show, Spike isn't treated like the other Ponies are. At best, he's treated like a little brother; at worst he's treated like a pet or an indentured servant. Assuming Spike is not fully grown, treating him as a younger sibling makes perfect sense.

However, treating a mature, mentally competent, adult Human like Spike shows that the Ponies regard said Human as a second class citizen. Not a good impression.

But what do y'all think?

2446879

Actually, I'm a Human supremacist myself; but, I only seen people throw that word around stories that ARE truly portraying Humans as Savage beasts.

Which.. Is quite a lot of stories

2446879 I only consider a story misanthropic if it makes the humans out to be evil, stupid creatures that are helpless before the power of the all-knowing, enlightened, loving ponies who have no flaws to speak of and never do anything wrong ever. Ponies=humans is a state of affairs I prefer in stories.

2446879

I believe lost its meaning. I have seen authors be called misanthropes on this site because they wrote a story that either involves the human going through hell. Or a human loses a fight against a pony etc. etc. Really all I have to say is, just because you a have character who goes under lots of hardships, doesn't mean your a misanthrope.

Just because said human loses a fight against a creature, even though he has a gun per say. Doesn't make you or that author a misanthrope. What grinds my gears is (I love saying that) when bronies or other people in general jump straight to that point.

...

That's all I really have to say on the subject, there's probably more to cover but I'll leave that up to you guys.

2446879
Well, there is actual misanthropy running around (see some of The Conversion Bureau stories), and people got so annoyed about it and paranoid that the label began getting slapped onto stories that weren't really misanthropic.

Just because some ignorant people have used the word wrong doesn't mean it has lost its meaning in the fandom. I still see plenty of people using it correctly.

~Have a good one.

How can word Lose it meaning if people still understand what really means.

logic here make no sense

Ya i know what you mean.

2447051 Because 'understanding' the term generally isn't always understanding misanthropy truly, especially in a more specific context.Typically individuals (and I am guilty of this too) tend to define it as a general term when in reality it should be more specific.

I wish I could give an example but I cannot think of one as of now.

2446904
Yeah a human supremacist as well, but only see that word mostly on tcb stories...yeeeah
I agree. a lot of stories show human like that

2446879
Portraying humanity on the same ethical level as the ponies is fine by me. From all that I've seen it makes sense. I only have a problem with the whole "humanity is the devil and they're all murderers and evil and their world is bad and they kick puppies" 14 year-old emo fap-fic bullshit.

2446904
Same here, though. I have a rather high opinion of us and our position -- the only dominant species on a world that spawned billions of competitors by the time of our earliest civilization -- supports it pretty well.

2447051

How can word Lose it meaning if people still understand what really means.

Language changes with how it's used.

I mean yes, "Misanthropy" will always be defined in the dictionary as "hating other members of the human race" but words are more than just dictionary definitions, they're about concepts, what they communicate when they're used.

Take for example, the term "RPG." That literally means "Role-Playing Game" which you would think means a game where you play a role. But in a Mario game you play the role of Mario, in a Sonic game you play the role of Sonic, etc... so why aren't they RPGs? Because gamers understand the term to mean games like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest or Ultima or, ya know. That's the associations it has created.

It works the other way too though. Case in point, sixty years ago if you accused a group or a movement of being "like the Nazis" then it would've been an attention-getter, since the entire world had fought the Nazis and nobody wanted to see their second coming. In the decades since though, we've seen everyone from biker gangs to the dad who forced you to clean up your room being called a "Nazi" and the term simply no longer means anything, at least not when used this way.

So in that sense, yes, words can very easily lose their meaning. Which I argue (I'm the guy the OP was quoting BTW) has happened with "misanthrope." My own fanfics were accused of misanthropy due to the concept of ponies keeping humans as pets, even though the fic states that only one country does this and that there's another where humans keep ponies, so naturally I'm inclined to be cynical of the term whenever it's used.

2446879

I think this fandom can be pretty harsh on misanthropic people. Really I have talked to misanthropic writers who don't really care what you believe in, they just personally believe that ponies are better and won't put you down if you say otherwise.

We need to stop thinking of them as some sort of hate facist group and think of them as just a person with preferences to things. Really..

2448297 HERESY, SAY THAT AGAIN AND ILL MAKE YOU WORK IN THE MAGNESIUM MINES UNTILL YOUR LUNGS ARE COLOURED GREY!

Jk.

I class misanthropic stories as those kind of wangsty ones in which humanity is not making and never has made any progress and every member of the human race is a savage, at least compared to the ponies. I just don't read those. Accepting and talking about humanity's flaws but explaining the positives and the progress we've made and are yet to make is still fine.

I wouldn't quite say I'm a human supremacist in general, but I am in certain types of stories, especially ones involving full scale military action and great, futuristic technology, which brings me on to another point. I'm happy with ponies and humans being treated as equals, but I like it when humans can broaden the minds of and 'enlighten' ponies on certain topics, such as our technology (don't like it when specifics are given, does your average Joe Bloggs know how a generator works?), but I also find human fascination with magic and parts of pony society perfectly acceptable. Culture shock is always good, especially when it works both ways.

2446904 Me too, I hate seeing a fic that qualifies Humans as stupid blood thirsty creatures.