Misanthropy is the general hatred, distrust or disdain of the human species or human nature. The word’s origin is from Greek words μῖσος (misos, “hatred”) and ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos, “human”). Not to be mistaken with its acronym philanthropy.
I think the following passage from Molière’s character Alceste in Le Misanthrope sums it up nicely:
My hate is general, I detest all men;
Some because they are wicked and do evil,
Others because they tolerate the wicked,
Refusing them the active vigorous scorn
Which vice should stimulate in virtuous minds.
This from Democritus:
Men will cease to be fools only when they cease to be men.
And from Einstein we’re provided with:
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.
There are plenty of misanthropists out there. I’m not one. Albeit somewhat of a pessimist, I genuinely think we are all geniuses. Let’s collectively shift our focus and extinguish the misanthropic tendencies that drag us down; that make it so hard for us to trust. Because it is trust of ourselves and other human beings that will save us from ourselves.