Do you think
being cynical
actually helps?
During my late teens and early 20s, I wore my precocious cynicism as a badge of honour. Because I was a well-read, voracious auto-didactic student of pop culture and history I had assumed it was a gift of knowledge, but as time went on I realized it was a burden and–eventually–a full-on albatross.
In my mid-20s I decided to give up cynicism cold turkey. It was much easier than I expected. For me the trick was in realizing that in today’s world the rebels aren’t the ones who assume the worst about everything and everyone, but those who remain optimistic without being ignorant. Literally anyone can be cynical–it takes special people to look out at the world and still remain hopeful that change will someday come.
I realize this is mostly just the contrarian jerk in me–the dude who has to say “up” whenever else insists it’s “down”, but the net result is I am far happier now than I was back then.
Still, many others would argue that I’m a fool. That they aren’t “cynical”–merely realistic about how much everything sucks. And I’m wondering–if you are one of those people–does this actually make you feel better? Or is it something you are helpless to control? Less an attitude than a fact of life like the weather and the ground at our feet.
If at the start of your adulthood someone gave you the choice and told you they could take away your cynicism, would you take it? Or is it something you want to hold on to?
I think a cynical perspective becomes problematic when you allow it to become all-pervasive, but I don’t think it has to be all-or-nothing. I am fairly optimistic about completely changing careers in my late twenties; it’s intimidating, but I made the choice for good reasons. Probably won’t be donating to my grad program as an alumni after that tuition gouging, but that’s water under the bridge. I have a genetic illness, treatable but currently incurable. At times I’ve volunteered to work with children that have the same condition, and while I’m always encouraging, I will never discuss a “cure.” Why?… Read more »
I look to the great Molly Ivins for guidance: skeptic yes cynic no.
though I occasionally lapse into the latter, I try to be mindful and stay on the side of the former.
Chronic cynicsm is like a jaundice that poisons every experience
Skepticism forces you to examine your own beliefs once in a while
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/molly_ivins.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Ivins
Yeah, I can still be pretty skeptical much of the time, but I try to avoid it being my default mode.