Word of the day: MISONEISM

Pronunciation: miso·ne·ism UK /ˌmɪsə(ʊ)ˈniːɪz(ə)m/ U.S /ˌmɪsəˈniˌɪzəm/

Meaning

‘Misoneism’ refers to a strong dislike, fear, or hatred of change, novelty, or innovation.

Origin and History

The word misoneism comes from a combination of the Italian word misoneismo and the Greek words "misein" (to hate) and "neos" (new), ultimately forming a term that means the "hatred of the new".

Cultural significance and modern usage

Misoneism has deep cultural resonance, especially in societies where tradition and modernity often collide. Throughout history, misoneism has been visible in resistance to social reforms, scientific discoveries, or technological revolutions. From the fear of industrial machines in the 19th century to today’s scepticism toward artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and digital transformation, misoneism reflects the human tendency to cling to the familiar.

In the modern world, the term is frequently used in discussions of politics, education, and technology, describing people or groups who resist new ideas due to fear of losing identity, stability, or control.

For example, cultural critics might label a society’s resistance to gender equality or climate innovation as a form of misoneism.

Psychologists also connect it with cognitive biases like status quo bias, our natural preference for things to remain the same.

Interesting facts

The term was popularised by Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who used it to explain why societies resist progress or revolutionary ideas.

Misoneism can be found in literature and art, symbolising characters or civilisations stuck between past and present.

For example, the character Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, before his transformation, is a quintessential misoneist

In politics, misoneism can appear as conservatism pushed to extremes, when change is feared, not reasoned.

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Examples from literature

  • The misoneism of crowds seems to me one of the strongest arguments in favour of the individual character of invention. - Essay on the Creative Imagination by Th. Ribot
  • Every progress in nature is the result of a struggle between the tendency to immobility, manifested by misoneism, or the hatred of novelty, and a foreign force which seeks to conquer this tendency.- Criminal Man, According to the Classification of Cesare Lombroso by Gina Lombroso

Synonyms

  • Neophobia
  • Misocainea
  • Conservatism
  • Traditionalism
  • Reactionism

Antonyms

  • Philoneism
  • Progressivism
  • Open-mindedness
  • Innovation
  • Modernism

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