Poll: Are you cynical?

[Jimi Fayemi]

I'm the kind of person whose cynical but, has had the fact that he's so privileged shoved in his face to the point where i'm not only cynical but jaded and bitter against people who think im not the sort of person they can call "happy". Templeton said it better than i could ever say it, optimism is a tool for the week. its easy to think everything is going to be ok. An example people, my father is a politician in the west african country of nigeria, I live some where in georgia, and i go to school in a pretty good prep school. Nigeria is going through some serious shitty economical issues that would make the occupy movement over here look like it was begging for lunch money. The whole f^#*ing country is on the brink of a civil war, and who is one of those who has to sit in the govornmential boardroom issuing complaints to the president? MY DAD, who might be killed if the entire populace breaks out into a state of emergency? MY DAD, do I think believing he's jus gonna be fine is going to mean shit? The hell i do. Being a cynic might save me my tear ducts.

 

[ButanicXpandA]

Im always cynical, I hate being optimistic because I generally (80% of the time) get let down by people. I hate building up and looking forward only to be kicked in the stomach all the time.

i absolutely agree, much to the dismay of a good friend of mine, i would rather be preemptively cynical about something and be proved wrong, than to be excited for something to be instead disappointed on the matter (which has happened many times i assure you).

 

[Owlslayer]

I`m not 100% sure if i get what being cynical means, but I´m pretty sure I´m not cynical.
Tho reading the "Cynicism" article on Wikipedia only confuses me. Or i might just be confusing 2 different things. Oh well.

 

[Matt King]

Optimism is something that the weak indulge within to keep safe. hey have to accept there is no reachable dream, no hope and god probosces hates them. The hilarious part is that people always week optimists, when really they need the cynic. My friends say I should be happy, let hope into my life and be blissfully ignorant. I look at them and question weather they are truly hopeful or have tricked themselves into believing themselves to be hopeful, almost as a way to be accepted within society. When they question if I was ever optimistic, I reply that I was long ago. That that time has passed fter I saw what people would do given a chance. If they were given an opportunity.

dude, i'm optimistic because i like enjoying life, rather than expecting the worse of everything, sometimes it bites me in the arse but other times it doesn't, lighten up

I've been beaten with stick, had stones thrown at my head with the intention of splitting my skull and verbal abused to the point where I thought suicide was the only way out. I see no reason to be optimistic.

-shrugs- i suppose but the only reason i survive through the bad times is the hope that things will get better

 

[Trivun]

Oh hell yes, I am such a cynic. But cynicism tends to be argued against by critics as not being a real thing for most people, saying that people try to be 'cynical' to fit in with their peers on the internet and such. What people say and do online is usually very different to their real attitude, after all. I, instead, fully accept that fact, but I go further. I'd argue that for myself, I learned cynicism as a concept from my long exposure to pop culture and my internet presence, and that is what drove me to become the cynical person I am. I know these critics are right, so I see little point arguing against them. My own world view is as cynical as anything, and that's just how I am. For the record, I tend to act online the same as I do in real life anyway, so there's that too. But yes, I am a cynic, and somewhat happy to be labelled as such.

 

[Shiftygiant]

Optimism is something that the weak indulge within to keep safe. hey have to accept there is no reachable dream, no hope and god probosces hates them. The hilarious part is that people always week optimists, when really they need the cynic. My friends say I should be happy, let hope into my life and be blissfully ignorant. I look at them and question weather they are truly hopeful or have tricked themselves into believing themselves to be hopeful, almost as a way to be accepted within society. When they question if I was ever optimistic, I reply that I was long ago. That that time has passed fter I saw what people would do given a chance. If they were given an opportunity.

dude, i'm optimistic because i like enjoying life, rather than expecting the worse of everything, sometimes it bites me in the arse but other times it doesn't, lighten up

I've been beaten with stick, had stones thrown at my head with the intention of splitting my skull and verbal abused to the point where I thought suicide was the only way out. I see no reason to be optimistic.

-shrugs- i suppose but the only reason i survive through the bad times is the hope that things will get better

Not really. I survived through magical medication.

 

[Erttheking]

Between people saying that the gaming industry coughs out nothing but mindless generic games with slapped on gimmicks for the sake of gathering more customers, whom they care nothing about, and saying that we live in Orwellian times, I think that this website might be kinda cynical.

Those aren't cynicism. That's panic.

Additionally, cynicism generally goes to the motives of humanity, so it's not a perfect antonym for optimism. You have a house over your head, so you don't have a right to complain. That's nice, but how does it go to the motives of humanity? Really, it doesn't.

Nor does it change the fact that, as an American, your way of life has been built off slave labour, sweat shops, and basically the suffering of others.

WHOOPS! Guess I just pegged myself as a cynic.

Oh for the love of, this thread is about cynicism, exactly how did you transition from that to taking jabs at my country? There's a bit of a gap there.

 

[C F]

I'm seventeen and I subscribe to the optimistic idealist side of things [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism]. I'm waiting to see whether or not life is going to whack me upside the head for that. If it does, at least I saw it coming. If it doesn't, hey! This is a bonus!

 

[dyre]

I'm not really cynical, pessimistic, or optimistic. For video games, I'll generally acknowledge that this or that developer doesn't have a good track record, and this or that gameplay feature looks like a gimmick, but I'll give it a fair chance when I play the game, instead of just assuming that all things suck unless proven otherwise. Unless it's a series or developer I love to hate, or w/e.

I'm more optimistic. That's most because the vast majority of people around here seem to have prescribed to this postmodern cynicism of everything and I'm the kind of guy who can't stand a one-sided fight so I'll take the side no body wants. Personally, My life might not be rainbows and unicorns but I'm not going to act like a sad sack of crap because of it.

I like your reasoning, it's like some romantic notion of "the last optimist" or something

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I'm a pretty big optimist. I believe things usually work themselves out, and for the better.

Whatever happens, happens.

But I'm also British, and being British means that I have a predisposition to thinking any attempt by our country to make something great will inevitably fall flat on it's arse. Also, the sarcasm. Damn I love sarcasm.

The London Olympics

Everyone, repeat after me.

'It's gonna be a bit shit.'

Well said!

There is a story from world war 2 of the UK having our asses handed to us! We were really being beaten in this particular battle (I can't remember where, but it was towards the end of the war) and we had requested US support to help us get out. Our comms guy got through and requested help as we were in 'a spot of bother, and a bit of a pickle.' Darn Americans, not understanding our natural British understatement, replied with; 'ok, let us know if it gets bad and we'll come and help...' Unfortunately we never got another chance to call and were anihalated!

OT: Personally I am a realist living in a fantasy world... I hope that things are always going to be good, and will outwardly show my natural optimism... but inside I know to expect the worst, and that it will never be as good as I think!

 

[ImperialSunlight]

In general, I'm neither optimistic nor cynical. I recognise that there are problems but I also recognise that they're really not as bad as everyone makes them seem.

I choose not to be completely cynical because while a cynic can identify problems, they often think they cannot do anything to solve it and just give up. I'm not like that.

 

[Shavon513]

I'm pretty cynical, a huge step up from the pessimist teenager....that I used to be. I see human nature having the potential to be compassionate and freely benefit one another, but most people would rather be selfish, from what I see.

You have to make your own happiness in this world. It will never just land in your lap.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

An optimist is never pleasantly surprised, a cynic tends to be.

Much easier to tell which is which in hindsight though.

The London Olympics

Everyone, repeat after me.

'It's gonna be a bit shit.'

All Hail to the Ale!

 

[Daystar Clarion]

An optimist is never pleasantly surprised, a cynic tends to be.

Much easier to tell which is which in hindsight though.

The London Olympics

Everyone, repeat after me.

'It's gonna be a bit shit.'

All Hail to the Ale!

And a glass of wine, for the ladies

 

[smithy_2045]

I'm very much a cynic.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

I'm cynical through and through, but as I've claimed elsewhere, cynics are optimists that have become used to disappointment. At my core I wish for things to turn out for the better; I just no longer expect them to.

 

[MrMixelPixel]

I'm consistently, sarcastically, optimistic. My reason for doing so, is because it makes me laugh and I usually like poking fun at optimism.

I suppose, I would consider myself a cynic. Not a super, serious, cynic... but a cynic.

 

[dalek sec]

Kinda. I'm generally positive with my outlook, but nowadays if you're not a little cynical you must be blind.

Bang.

This is pretty much how I am as well. I try to find a balance so I'm not completely naive to the world but at the same time not some bitter git who hates everything.

In wraping things up I don't hate everything but I know the world isn't rainbows and unicorns.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

I chose kinda, because I'm a realist, not overtly optimistic, or pessimistic about anything, I just see things as they are, I evaluate things as I see and or experience them, I enjoy what I can, I deal with what I can't, and I just try and enjoy as much as I can cuz it's gonna end sometime sooner than later, and I would rather enjoy my life as much as possible while I'm alive.

Games, I play for that game, not to compare it to another game, same with movies, and music. Though I do have favorites, and some things are just not up my alley.

 

[him over there]

I wouldn't consider myself a cynic. I'm sort of grouchy but not really pessimistic. In fact I tend to be quite optimistic at times. I'm at that weird spot where you're overly critical and realistic but you don't wallow in the worst parts of a situation or assume the worst.