#cynicism

It's just so perfuck. ↗

— Toba Beta

#cynicism

Rich men have dreams. Poor men die to make them come true. ↗

— Glen Cook

#dreams #poor #poor-people #rich-people #dreams

Every ounce of my cynicism is supported by historical precedent. ↗

— Glen Cook

#humor #life #humor

It all depends on what people you're talking about helping. That's the wonderful think about just about every religion on the planet - they're all so incredibly selfish. ↗

— Derek Landy

#cynicism #helping-others #perspective #religion #selfishness

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

The world didn't give a shit. It didn't bestow. It took ↗

— Dennis Lehane

#life #life

This is some sort of joke, isn't it?" asks Hunt, staring at the flawless blue sky and distant fields. I cough as lightly and briefly as possible into a handkerchief I have made from a towel borrowed from the inn. "Probably," I say. "But then, what isn't? ↗

— Dan Simmons

#cynicism #cynicism-reality #joke-life #life

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

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing. ↗

— Oscar Wilde

#nothing

There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious. ↗

— Niccolò Machiavelli

#dire #religious