Christina Lin
Have you ever found yourself, while interacting with colleagues, friends, or even a romantic partner, experiencing a momentary dislike or aversion towards someone, even to the point of wanting to distance yourself from them? And then, after some time, this feeling disappears , and you are able to resume normal interactions and conversations with that person. Well, you are not alone. This phenomenon is quite common and is referred to as "intermittent misanthropy."
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Intermittent misanthropy, also known as "intermittent apathy," is a psychological reaction characterized by a sudden aversion to the people around themselves, feeling a sense of disgust or annoyance towards their interactions. myself and colleagues, friends, or romantic partners.
There are various manifestations of this psychological reaction. For instance, as mentioned earlier, experiencing a momentary dislike towards someone is one of the key features. Other characteristics include not wanting to engage in conversation or socializing, feeling impatient. upon hearing the other person's voice, launching verbal attacks against someone abruptly, or constantly finding fault in everything the other person does. If you exhibit these characteristics, you may be experiencing intermittent misanthropy.
Researchers have proposed several explanations for the occurrence of intermittent misanthropy.
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One possible cause of intermittent misanthropy is the brain's protective mechanism.
Some researchers suggest that because we constantly interact with people and expend emotional energy outwardly, the brain needs us to maintain a balanced emotional state. This leads to the development of aversion towards certain individuals as a protective system.
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Another cause could be our emotions' defense mechanism.
Psychologist Albers proposes that the aversion arises because we continuously express warmth and enthusiasm towards others, often neglecting self-care. It is inherent in human nature to be self-centered, so developing a sense of aversion towards others redirects our attention back to ourselves. This is one of the reasons why this emotion arises.
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Everyday life frustrations can also contribute to this psychological reaction.
The pressures we experience in our academic or professional lives can make us feel irritable. During such times, when friends or acquaintances try to engage with us, it can further exacerbate our annoyance, leading to a desire to distance ourselves and avoid social interactions.
Although intermittent misanthropy is a common psychological reaction, it can have various impacts on us.
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Intermittent misanthropy can affect our social interactions.
It can lead to negative consequences such as the breakdown of friendships or strained romantic relationships. Based on my friend's account, she experienced a rift with her friend in the past due to intermittent misanthropy. She didn't understand why suddenly she found fault with her friend and became dissatisfied with their actions, leading to verbal attacks. As a result, both parties became angry, leading to conflict and avoidance. Fortunately, their friendship was not severely threatened. This demonstrates that intermittent misanthropy can pose a threat to our social connections.
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Intermittent misanthropy can impact our emotions.
When we experience this condition, we develop a sense of aversion towards the people around us, which can make us feel irritable and frustrated, thus affecting our emotional well-being.
To mitigate the effects of intermittent misanthropy, there are several things we can do:
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We can discuss our thoughts with our teachers or parents during such episodes to help us relax and find comfort.
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We can confide in friends and communicate our feelings, explaining why we don't feel like talking to others. This allows the other person to understand the reason behind our change in attitude.
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Engaging in outdoor activities, reading, or other forms of diversion can help shift our focus and provide temporary relief, allowing us to avoid negative impacts.
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For intermittent misanthropy, it can occur with varying frequency. If you also experience this emotion, there's no need to worry. It is a normal psychological reaction, and you are not alone in feeling this way. When facing such symptoms, it is important to approach them with a positive mindset so that we don't generate additional negative emotions.
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