#cynicism

If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life. ↗

— Terry Pratchett

#humor #life #humor

Cynicism creates a numbness toward life. Cynicism begins with a wry assurance that everyone has an angle. Behind every silver lining is a cloud. The cynic is always observing, critiquing, but never engaging, loving, and hoping. ... To be cynical is to be distant. While offering a false intimacy of being "in the know," cynicism actually destroys intimacy. It leads to bitterness that can deaden and even destroy the spirit. ... Cynicism begins, oddly enough, with too much of the wrong kind of faith, with naive optimism or foolish confidence. At first glance, genuine faith and naive optimism appear identical since both foster confidence and hope.But the similarity is only surface deep.Genuine faith comes from knowing my heavenly Father loves, enjoys, and cares for me. Naive optimism is groundless. It is childlike trust without the loving Father. ... Optimism in the goodness of people collapses when it confronts the dark side of life. ... Shattered optimism sets us up for the fall into defeated weariness and, eventually, cynicism. You'd think it would just leave us less optimistic, but we humans don't do neutral well. We go from seeing the bright side of everything to seeing the dark side of everything. We feel betrayed by life. ... The movement from naive optimism to cynicism is the new American journey. In naive optimism we don't need to pray because everything is under control. In cynicism we can't pray because everything out of control, little is possible. With the Good Shepherd no longer leading us through the valley of the shadow of death, we need something to maintain our sanity. Cynicism's ironic stance is a weak attempt to maintain a lighthearted equilibrium in a world gone mad. ... Without the Good Shepherd, we are alone in a meaningless story. Weariness and fear leave us feeling overwhelmed, unable to move. Cynicism leaves us doubting, unable to dream. The combination shuts down our hearts, and we just show up for life, going through the motions. ↗

— Paul E. Miller

#prayer #death

Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying “yes” begins things. Saying “yes” is how things grow. Saying “yes” leads to knowledge. “Yes” is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say “yes'. ↗

— Stephen Colbert

#optimism #wisdom #youth #strength

Cynic, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are not as they ought to be. ↗

— Ambrose Bierce

#definition #honesty #vision

If you behaved nicely, the communists wouldn't exist. ↗

— Jenny Holzer

#cynicism #politics #cynicism

It is good to be a cynic — it is better to be a contented cat — and it is best not to exist at all. ↗

— H.P. Lovecraft

#cynic #existence #suicide #cynicism

Scratch the surface of most cynics and you find a frustrated idealist — someone who made the mistake of converting his ideals into expectations. ↗

— Peter M. Senge

#idealism #cynicism

All I have to be thankful for in this world is that I was sitting down when my garter busted. ↗

— Dorothy Parker

#cynicism

He might have been naive, but he didn't care; he said he's rather die with his heart on his sleeve than end up another cynic. ↗

— Colum McCann

#naive #cynicism

- "They speak very well of you". - "They speak very well of everybody." - "That so bad?" - "Yes. It means you can´t trust them. ↗

— Iain Banks

#cynical #dialogue #paranoid #cynicism