People Who Make Hating Taylor Swift Their Whole Personality Usually Have These 11 Deeper Reasons
Their hatred is often a symptom of underlying personal issues.
Brian Friedman | Shutterstock Why do people hate Taylor Swift so much? There are a lot of nuanced layers. From the "billionaire status" to the gendered constructs that rule celebrity journalism, and even personal opinions about her music, it seems like everyone has an excuse for picking her apart and holding her to impossibly harsh standards. However, from insecurity to a personal lack of control, people who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality usually have these deeper reasons.
Yes, you're allowed to dislike celebrities. You're allowed to dislike Taylor Swift. You're allowed to critique a celebrity's artwork or the music that they choose to put out into the world. However, there's a problematic line that many people justify between disliking a person's art and hating them "personally," even if they've never met. Be careful about the judgments you carry, because even if they "chose" the celebrity life of fame and attention, they don't deserve to be hated for things they can't control or harmless decisions that don't align with everyone else's.
People who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality usually have these 11 deeper reasons
1. She reminds them of someone
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock
There's a difference between disliking someone's music and disliking their entire identity, especially when it's someone you've never met before. You're only seeing what she wants you to see, but if Taylor Swift reminds you of someone you don't like, that could be why you feel so passionately.
Whether it's her blonde hair, her tone of voice, or her album's branding, if she reminds you of someone in your personal life that you don't like — maybe that person loves her and her music — it's hard to separate those feelings from each other.
2. They envy her
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock
Driven by social comparison in our culture, many people who vehemently hate Taylor Swift may actually wish they were more like her. They see things like her fame, her success, or her appearance through the lens of their own insecurities and envy, making them believe they hate her, even if these complex feelings are actually rooted in jealousy.
It's the same reason why casual friendships are often broken apart by jealousy and insecurity. When someone else has something you want or believe you deserve, and you don't have the self-assuredness to celebrate others, you may grow apart from them on the basis of jealousy and envy.
3. They have internalized misogyny
Kyrylo Ryzhov | Shutterstock
Many people have been taught to dislike and distrust women in positions of power or influence — trained under the patriarchy that it's actually men who should have this kind of control. Internalized misogyny often appears in women who rely heavily on social norms for a sense of purpose and security, shifting their own sense of femininity and womanhood to appease men, even if it's seemingly subconscious.
People who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality may struggle with this internalized misogyny — believing that disliking someone who's so popularly disliked by men will boost their own social standing and make them more worthy of male acceptance and validation.
4. They're uncomfortable with empowered women
fizkes | Shutterstock
Whether it's Taylor Swift's reclamation of her own music, her ultra-successful tours, or her general personality online and in interviews, people who make hating her their whole personality may simply be uncomfortable with empowered women. They cling to social norms that pressure women to be quiet, docile, and agreeable, rather than assertive, confident, and powerful.
Ironically, her history of relationships — or, more specifically, the public's narrative about her love life — may also play a part in fueling a Swiftie-hating person's mentality. According to a study from Deviant Behavior, submissive women who often accept and embrace patriarchal ideas about relationships are more likely to be in long-term commitments, even when they're not healthy or empowering.
Watching Taylor Swift consistently put herself first, leave toxic relationships, and talk openly about her own empowerment may feel offensive to these people, especially if they feel unhappy in their own lives and amongst their own relationship choices.
5. They perceive her to be performative
MAYA LAB | Shutterstock
Many people who perceive true authenticity or celebrity empowerment as performative are struggling with their own sense of confidence on a personal level. They can't imagine that someone is willfully confident or genuine because they're always in a battle with themselves to overcome insecurities and shame.
Like a study from Communications Psychology suggests, people with low self-esteem often perceive others more harshly and are overly sensitive to other people's opinions. They refuse to believe that someone's kindness is rooted in good intentions or that their authenticity is anything short of performative to cope with their own inner turmoil.
6. They think disliking her makes them 'cool'
oneinchpunch | Shutterstock
Especially for people who struggle with internalized misogyny and live alongside misguided patriarchal values, it's common to inherently dismiss and invalidate feminine identities and self-expressions. Like a study from the British Journal of Sociology of Education explains, femininity has always been crafted to mean "lacking" or "inferior," so when people adopt a "girly girl" expression, they're immediately looked down upon.
In a very traditional sense, the friendship bracelets, lyrics about relationships, and "girly girl" vibe of the Swiftie fandom is hyper-feminine, which is why someone who inherently adopts woman-hating sentiments will reject Taylor Swift to seem "cool." They live their lives in accordance with male validation, acceptance, and appreciation, which is why hating Taylor Swift — something they view as inherently "bad" — is part of their whole personality.
7. They misinterpret her fandom
Inside Creative House | Shutterstock
For many people who grew up without community, support, or friendships, being a part of a "fandom" was their connection to something bigger than themselves. Whether it connected them to new friends online or gave them a sense of belonging, Taylor Swift has crafted a community for a lot of people to appreciate, even into adulthood.
However, people who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality usually have a deep resistance to this fandom, believing it's more obsessive and immature than productive and bonding. Of course, it all comes back to internal insecurity.
You can make assumptions about Taylor Swift's values, separating yourself from her music based on that misalignment. You can also listen to the music and decide it's not for you. But making hating her and bringing down fans the center of your personality is only a manifestation of anger, envy, and insecurity.
8. They used to like her
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock
Many people who struggle with resentment toward a younger version of themselves can't help but manifest that anger against things they used to like. From wearing the color pink to liking Taylor Swift, people who struggle with accepting their past and childhood selves may hate the things they used to love about their entire personality.
It may give them a sense of control over separating themselves from the past, but it can often erupt in pessimistic ways that encourage others to perceive them as chronically negative or misunderstood.
9. They're overexposed
voronaman | Shutterstock
Of course, being overexposed to celebrities online, much like Taylor Swift in every single news headline and TikTok post, can often predict obsessive behaviors and unhealthy celebrity worship, according to a 2018 study. However, being overexposed to someone online can also create a sense of fatigue that makes you resent and dislike the person being shown to you.
Many people who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality may simply be emotionally exhausted seeing her constantly online. They feel like no matter what they do, she's always popping up in their lives, even if she plays no real part in making that happen.
10. They're deeply unhappy
fizkes | Shutterstock
Projecting feelings of despair, unhappiness, and judgment onto others is often a coping mechanism for people who feel deeply uncertain and uncomfortable in their own lives. Rather than looking inward and addressing the root of their problems, they blame-shift and let their anger manifest toward other people.
People who make hating Taylor Swift their whole personality may simply be miserable. They're unhappy with their own life, so they latch onto her success, her life, or her music as a way to defend themselves from feeling despair in their own life.
11. They want her to fail
Andrii Iemelianenko | Shutterstock
A study from Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who feel envious of a "perfect" or "superior" person often take pleasure in their misfortune. Essentially, they are happier when that person fails or struggles, compared to when they're successful and thriving, even if it's a close friend or loved one.
Of course, many people share that same kind of envy for Taylor Swift, even though they've never met her and don't know her. Their whole personality is hating her, largely because they see her success and feel envious of her passion on a personal level.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
