 Don Van Vliet (commonly known as Captain Beefheart) has been described as a misanthrope, with close friend Kristine McKenna stating that he "thought human beings were the worst species that was ever dreamed up".Morrissey, a songwriter, has been dubbed "pop's most famous misanthrope".The pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus was by various accounts a misanthrope and a loner who had little patience for human society.