ethnomasochism means self-loathing on the grounds of one's own race or ethnicity.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, ethnomasochism ranks #2,678 of 14,410 for Most Ponderous Words, #3,474 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say, #7,204 of 14,297 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #10,929 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words.
Why “ethnomasochism” is a great word
Ethnomasochism is the conscious or subconscious adoption of self-loathing or self-sabotaging behaviors rooted in one’s own racial, ethnic, or cultural identity, deriving a perverse gratification from this humiliation. From ethno- (pertaining to race, people, or culture) + masochism (the deriving of pleasure from one's own pain or humiliation). Unlike self-hatred—a broad, often internalized disdain—or cultural cringe—a passive, comparative sense of inferiority—ethnomasochism implies an almost performative, sometimes gratifying embrace of denigration. It is the flinch at one's own surname in a foreign tongue, the ritualistic laughter at bigoted jokes at one's own expense, the curated display of ancestral failings for an approving external gaze—a quiet corrosion of the spirit, mistaken for a kind of enlightenment.
Etymology
From ethno- + masochism.
noun
- Self-loathing on the grounds of one's own race or ethnicity.“The TV channel Arte, funded by German and French taxpayers, promotes a culture of guilt, ethnomasochism and is infatuated with extreme left-wing causes when it comes to cultural and society-related issues.”
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