People who hate humans but love animals?

[emma_llew]

I'm sure lots of people can like animals more than humans, but when it gets so bad that it could become a mental illness, is there a name for such a condition? For example, Hitler was supposed to have been an animal activist and vegetarian, but well, we know what he thought of humans... Is this a condition? Is there a name for it?

[emmie]

there is no evidence to suggest that Hitler was a vegetarian, as to having a mental illness because a person prefers animals, don't see why that would be the case.

[Old_Geezer]

I believe Hitler was not the vegetarian he is reputed to be, and his thoughts on humans I think varied depending on whether he was considering his favourite group or his scapegoat group. And even then I understand he wasn't always capable of retaining the same dispassionate facade.

Unfortunately I don't know if there is a medical name for the condition you describe though. Sorry.

[notasyoungasiwas]

Maybe people just prefer animals (who never let you down) because humans have let them down so many times in the past. Agree with em don't see that that would be a mental case!

[emma_llew]

I was just using Hitler as an example. I know there's a lot to debate about that. Ok, so imagine it's so severe it could lead the person to have murderous thoughts about humans? Obviously, the fact that they have such compassion for animals makes that such a huge contrast that it becomes a mental illness.

[knbarter]

Maybe they have felt rejected by someone or been somehow disapointed by humans.

[emmie]

having murderous thought about human beings is nothing new, its only a big problem when the person does something about it.

[ladybirder]

I love animals but I have murderous thoughts towards the barstewards who stripped our damson tree of its fruits over night.

[joko]

if you mean they begin to treat the animals like human and think they are human, such as dressing them up, talking to them and believing they are talking back then there is an issue...but just liking them more is not weird.

[joko]

is this happening to a relative or somehting?

[emma_llew]

I'm extremely worried about a close family member, hence the question. I'm trying to look online to see if there is a name for this condition, but struggling to find anything. Who knows when the murderous thoughts can become something real? I really need to find out more about this. I hope someone can help.

[LoftyLottie]

I wouldn't think the murderous thoughts about people have anything to do that whoever it is likes animals more than people. He/she might well have a medical condition though. A lot of people who have social problems relate better to animals than humans. Animals are more accepting than people.

[emma_llew]

I have discussed this issue a LOT with the family member in question and it always leads to animal rights. The person talks about how they are disgusted with humans for being cruel to animals, eating them etc. Yet, they are not vegetarian themselves. 'The less people there are on Earth, the better', they say all the time. The person talks about how the holocaust was a good thing, how children deserve to be abused and how we are 'lower' beings than animals. Despite saying this, they will say that we are animals ourselves and I try to show the reasoning there... that yes, we ARE all animals so we should only advocate equality; that we can't think less of humans if we believe in equality amongst ALL 'animals'. The opinions this person has are always contradictory, as you can see from what I just said.

[DTCwordfan]

Yes there is:

Welsh Sheep Farmers.

[emma_llew]

Jokes aside, this is a serious problem that I need real answers to. I'm very concerned about this person.

[boxtops]

Sometimes I feel that people devote their affections to animals because they are not very good at interacting with people. This may not be the case with your friend, but most animals are loyal and dependent, and make the person feel good about themselves. Being obsessive about animal cruelty doesn't mean they have mental health problems - many people are fanatical about their chosen good causes.

[DTCwordfan]

oh I didnt know that you were referring to someone you know.....

[wolf63]

I have mental health problems and one of the problems that I have is that I get caught up in something and become obsessed by it - in my case it has never been anything bad or illegal, just .... odd

I love my two cats, they are my 'babies' and I spend most of my life with them. Their behaviour and the psychology behind what they do interests me greatly.

It is hard to understand where a normal obsession ends and a destructive obsession caused by mental illness begins.

The royal college of psychiatrists have some good information on their website - and maybe the BBC site.

best wishes

[emma_llew]

I know there's nothing wrong with being passionate about animal rights, quite the opposite. It becomes wrong though when that person does the complete opposite of the things they claim to stand for. (Eating meat even though they HATE people who eat meat, for example). This person states that they're aware that humans are in fact animals themselves, yet absolutely hates humans. Their language is always contradictory and hypocritical.
This person has pets and from watching their behaviour with and around them, it seems that it's not just a matter of feeling accepted by animals or just enjoying their company more than humans, this person is very controlling with animals. I believe it's a case of being able to control them more than humans.

[joko]

it sounds more like simple depression rather than any excessive liking for animals...

it seems his motive is hes angry at humans, rather than sincerely concerned for animals.

he is miserable and no-one is making him feel better and possibly making him feel worse - so hes angry and blames them for it...everything bad in his life he can no doubt attribute to a person...rightly or wrongly... so he is focussing on all the negative traits of people and putting them onto all people rather than individuals and gradually he has become nihilistic and contemptuous

its kind of classic depression - i had similar thoughts myself about 10 years ago when depressed...felt unworthy of life, but also what a crap species we are, how can we be such horrors... etc
mine manifested more in weeping and feeling blue...his is more angsty...

he needs to see a doc asap...

[joko]

and the contradictions and irrational thoughts are also classic...it makes him feel better to blame other for his misery...no matter how sometimes its contradictory