is possible to hold both positions at the same time. One way to do this is to claim that humanity is exceptional mainly due to a few rare individuals while maintaining a negative perspective toward the average person. Another approach is to turn human exceptionalism on its head by claiming that human beings are exceptional in a negative sense, i.e. that, given their destructive and harmful history, they are much worse than any other species. Theorists in the field of deep ecology are also often critical of human exceptionalism and tend to favor a misanthropic perspective. Deep ecology is a philosophical and social movement that emphasizes the inherent value of nature and advocates a radical change in human behavior toward nature. Various theorists have criticized deep ecology based on the claim that it is misanthropic by privileging other species over humans. For example, the deep ecology movement Earth First! has faced severe criticism when they praised the AIDS epidemic in Africa as a solution to the problem of human overpopulation in their newsletter. See also Asociality – lack of motivation to engage in social interaction Antisocial – disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others Antihumanism – rejection of humanism Cosmicism Emotional isolation Hatred (video game) Machiavellianism (psychology) Nihilism Social alienation References Works cited External links Anti-social behaviour Human behavior Philosophical concepts Philosophy of life Psychological attitude Social emotions