Cynics: the smartest people in the room?
Where my Cynics at?!
I’ve got to admit, I love a cynic. Someone who’s seen it all, and then some. Someone who refuses to let anyone or anything make a fool of them, someone who has a deep understanding of “how life REALLY is.” Hmm. That’s an interesting concept: knowing how life really is. Everyone experiences life differently, so I respect their stance. However, I believe cynicism is a mask for the most sensitive folks out there: they were taken for a fool once, and there sure as hell not going to let that happen again, “Fool me once” kinda folks. Truthfully, I think they’re pretty smart, not because they’re wiser than anyone else with their beliefs, but because they’ve figured out a very interesting mechanism to protect themselves from disappointment.
Now there’s a juicy topic. Disappointment is the silent killer of dreams large and small. I’ve searched for books on the topic in the past, and a recent search revealed similar findings: the only books available on the topic were in the religious section, asking God to change one’s feelings, or instructing one how to replace disappointment with faith in God. While I respect their approach and find elements useful, I feel the world needs a larger, more substantial tome on the subject, that needs to be written from a scientific perspective. I want a practical discussion with steps outlined and case studies of people who’ve undertaken the work and effectively created change in their lives, at least anecdotally. There’s so much more to this topic than meets the eye: how we relate to it as children, how it manifests throughout our lives, various coping methods, etc.. It makes me wonder who’s going to write this, because the world needs a definitive work on the subject. Maybe the Positive Psychology or Cognitive Therapists could tackle it.
Meanwhile back in the real world, our delightful Cynics certainly have found a coping mechanism that works effectively for them — which would be a perfect subchapter in this larger work. Because I believe that the underlying issue for most cynics is disappointment, whether it started with the Tooth Fairy or more serious circumstances, this attitude carries through one’s life. Cynics have smartly found an effective tool to make their way through daily life without getting bashed from head to toe.
