I want to know the word which can describe the personality trait of disliking "Phony" people. Misanthrope is too extreme and generalizes hating human race.
P.S: Any word which can suit personality of Holden from "Catcher in the rye" will do.
3 Answers
I think the three best one-word descriptions of Holden Caulfield are "crazy" (his own word), pretentious (a literary critic's word), and idealistic (my word) or unrealistic (also my word). Everybody's somewhat of a phony (see Erving Goffman's The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life). Nobody likes extreme phonies. That makes "the personality trait of disliking 'Phony' people" a normal trait that deserves no special label.
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@EdwinAshworth Pardon me, if this comes out as naive. As English is not my first language, I was not able to understand the context of "not a nudge" part of your response. I know its literal meaning but can you please tell me the meaning you intended.– atamsMay 2, 2013 at 6:52
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An upright personality
upright adj
Adhering strictly to moral principles; righteous.
source: thefreedictionary.com
for example:
Louise: A widow in her late 60's to early 70's, who is in a weak and sickly condition but maintains her pride through her elegant and upright personality.
Someone who recognizes hypocrisy (or phoniness) is likely to be
cynical
seeing the worst in others.
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Hmm. You don't have to be cynical to dislike 'phoney people'. Jul 16, 2015 at 13:42
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@EleventhDoctor Sure, but the OP's mention of misanthrope and Holden Caulfield make 'cynic' the closest one-word fit. Otherwise it's just 'doesn't like phony people'.– MitchJul 17, 2015 at 11:56