Is it ever acceptable to dislike someone?

I don't often dislike people, but if I do, I try to figure out what it is I dislike about them. That doesn't mean I will like them afterwards, but it does mean I learn something about myself. The vast majority of people are not either bad or good, most everyone has qualities that one could categorize as such, though.
 

Sure, and when I do then I do my best to avoid them, and stop thinking about and talking about them. Not always successfully...

Also in my experience if you get to know someone there is always something about them to like or be interested in, but some folks bad acts just make me not to want to get to know them that well...
 
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I don't like everyone that's for sure and I'm not sorry about it. Everyone has a right to how they feel. I was taught to have love for everyone and you don't have to like someone to love them.
 
You ain't no roll in the hay, so yeah, it's possible to dislike someone. :)
I have an ex-sister-in-law, who I wouldn't mind getting run over by a train. There's most probably others I dislike. And I'm not the apple in everyone's eye. I think disliking certain people is a human trait. Doesn't mean you have act on those feelings. Like if someone was standing next to a train crossing.
 
Larry67 said:
If you're not being sexist, racist, agist, or homophobic and you still think a person is a real scumbag is that permitted?
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I think your list of "ists" is interesting. As if you're saying, "Is it okay to dislike a serial killer, even if he's gay?" :)

I would say yes, it's okay to dislike anyone for any reason, so long as we still love them. By that I mean we still remember that they're fellow humans, once some mother's beloved baby, travelling through this world with who knows what terrible baggage.
 
Della said:
I think your list of "ists" is interesting. As if you're saying, "Is it okay to dislike a serial killer, even if he's gay?" :)

I would say yes, it's okay to dislike anyone for any reason, so long as we still love them. By that I mean we still remember that they're fellow humans, once some mother's beloved baby, travelling through this world with who knows what terrible baggage.
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So will you still love a serial killer even if he's gay? :love:
 
I'm ambivalent towards people until they give me a reason to dislike them. I'd actually prefer not to have to deal with people at all. I don't get any benefit from being with people... no oxytocin pleasure from connecting with people since I don't connect, no elevated dopamine levels to make me want to be with them, so I really have no motivation to socialize in person.

On the Internet, I have control over when and with whom I socialize and whom I'm exposed to. In real life, that control goes out the window. I have to go deal with the Goodyear salespeople now, which is not something I'd do if given the choice. It will probably be relatively painless. But even so... if given the choice, I wouldn't do it.

I'd actually prefer living without a car.
 
feywon said:
We are all, even the sexist, racist, homophobic and those with religious biases entitled to our feelings. What is crucial is how we behave toward others, even those we feel are 'scumbags'. Wherever our feelings fall on the spectrum of dislike to 'hatred' they do not entitle us to rage publicly, keeping in mind there is a difference between fact based criticism and just plain hate speech, and the criticism should be specific to other person's behavior not dragging in prejudicial statements about whatever demographic group(s) they belong to. Nor does it excuse discrimination in banking, housing, employment.

IMO, what our feelings do entitle us to is to disengage as much as the circumstances of our knowing them allows. We are not obligated to interact socially with people we have negative feelings about whether it's a gut instinct about someone we've just met or a family member we feel is toxic. I feel we should strive to be civil, tho some make that difficult, and being human i have not always suceeded in doing so.

Online, i tend to reserve judgement a little longer, because the medium is a factor and there is less risk to me if they are as 'bad' as i think/feel. In person i've learned to trust my instincts.
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Well said. :)
 
Irwin said:
I'm ambivalent towards people until they give me a reason to dislike them. I'd actually prefer not to have to deal with people at all. I don't get any benefit from being with people... no oxytocin pleasure from connecting with people since I don't connect, no elevated dopamine levels to make me want to be with them, so I really have no motivation to socialize in person.

On the Internet, I have control over when and with whom I socialize and whom I'm exposed to. In real life, that control goes out the window. I have to go deal with the Goodyear salespeople now, which is not something I'd do if given the choice. It will probably be relatively painless. But even so... if given the choice, I wouldn't do it.

I'd actually prefer living without a car.
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I get a lot of dopamine from those I like or love. A natural high is the best don't you think? Put the love out there, it will benefit you in my opinion.🤗💗
 
Certainly it is acceptable. If I hated all the things and people I dislike I would be a miserable human being. Disliking someone does not mean I do not have compassion for them or that I treat them badly. Having to deal with people I do not like helps me gain patience and tolerance.
 
i think it is far more acceptable to dislike a person and even avoid dealing with those you dislike or just be civil............... most people do not know or care if another person does not like them.
even openly dislike someone is better then to be fake and PRETEND you like everyone and expecting everyone to like you.

The idea that we all must like each other reminds me of things teachers said school and childhood ....not being an adult
 
Gary O' said:

Is it ever acceptable to dislike someone?​


Don't know
I've yet to dislike or hate anyone
It's just not in me

Doesn't mean I like what they do or say
I tend to not hang with those folks
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Remove [dislike] and I agree whole heartedly .........

There is nothing wrong IMO with disliking whom you may. The wrong comes in how you treat them.

As you stated "I don't hang with those folks" Me either. But I would never go out of my way to hurt anyone. But I will push back when groups try to push their way on me ...... try to convince me of their mantra .

And I refuse to accept that certain groups should receive 'special' consideration ...... just because they are members of that group. ............ exception being the handicapped .
 
Jeni said:
i think it is far more acceptable to dislike a person and even avoid dealing with those you dislike or just be civil............... most people do not know or care if another person does not like them.
even openly dislike someone is better then to be fake and PRETEND you like everyone and expecting everyone to like you.

The idea that we all must like each other reminds me of things teachers said school and childhood ....not being an adult
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I agree with the first part. I can't relate to the second part, though- other than in elementary school when kids were expected to give Valentines to everybody in the class, and were told to never bring in treats 'unless you bring enough for everybody.'

I think kids these days have a disadvantage, and it's not equipping them for the real world, when they're not allowed to have "best friends," can't choose teams because somebody wouldn't get chosen, etc. , because someone would feel left out or disliked.
 
I think it's just human to like or dislike particular people, whatever the reason.

But there are degrees of liking and disliking. You can like someone without being in love with them. And you can dislike someone, or certain things they do or say, without actually hating them.

But I think it's perfectly logical to hate some people, based on what they do, also. Tyrannical, murderous dictators, for example. Of course it's "acceptable" to hate them.

Maybe it's more meaningful to ask: Should we like or dislike people based on what they write on a social forum? Are they really what they appear to be? How much of what people say is the truth?

I have met some people in person whom I had previously known only from discussions on a social forum. (Years ago; it was *Prodigy.) Some people were exactly the way they sounded on the forum. And some were surprisingly nicer, and others were kind of boring in person. One guy, who sounded like a quirky genius on the forum, turned out to be a drunk and a sad loner. One couple from that forum actually fell in love after they met in real life, and got married!
 
Can dislike or view others with udderr disdain 24/7. Physically acting on that opinion is another story. Some earn the opinion others hold of them. There are exception but most earn a dislike for a reason.
 
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