I am misanthropic because I have trusted people in the past and they have hurt me.

I can also be very trusting on an individual level- almost too much so.

As far as distrusting humanity goes, I lack hope for a positive future and that trickles down into my perception of the present.

I don't dislike people- quite the opposite. However, my inability to fit in socially naturally translates into a withdrawn lifestyle. I feel as if I can relate, but no one can relate back (whether that is true or not, I can't know). I also feel as if my social awkwardness leads people to the wrong conclusions about me- that I think I am somehow better than them (which I do not). That in turn leads to social abandonment. What can I say? Life is tough. I never chose misanthropy as a philosophy. More like my natural self in contrast with social situations led to it.