Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Opt Out of Cynicism

dimitarsimeonov.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 336 posts

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#51

Post by adnzzzzZ »

paulpauper wrote: post #42

But what do I mean by being cynical? When you’re conversing with someone, it often easy to detect the frame through which they view the world and the interaction with you. Cynics think that the world is never changing on a fundamental level, but it only changes cosmetically, and superficially. Cynics may look at some new trend and call it “lipstick on a pig”. According to cynics, the world operates in a certain way,…

Deluded self-assurance most reliably delivers success. Cynics and realists tend to not understand this and thus don't take enough risks when they should, and are confined to mediocre results (compared to their peers in similar situations).

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#52

Post by matheusmoreira »

paulpauper wrote: post #42

But what do I mean by being cynical? When you’re conversing with someone, it often easy to detect the frame through which they view the world and the interaction with you. Cynics think that the world is never changing on a fundamental level, but it only changes cosmetically, and superficially. Cynics may look at some new trend and call it “lipstick on a pig”. According to cynics, the world operates in a certain way,…

> a cynic may think that media’s only purpose is to sells your attention to advertisers

Thinking this makes me a cynic? I don't think so. This is a fact that gets proven right every day on the internet. If anything I'm a hopelessly deluded optimist who thinks the web can actually go back to its pure beginnings when people said what they wanted without worrying that some advertiser will pull their funding.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#54

Post by Jensson »

adnzzzzZ wrote: post #51
paulpauper wrote: post #42

But what do I mean by being cynical? When you’re conversing with someone, it often easy to detect the frame through which they view the world and the interaction with you. Cynics think that the world is never changing on a fundamental level, but it only changes cosmetically, and superficially. Cynics may look at some new trend and call it “lipstick on a pig”. According to cynics, the world operates in a certain way,…

Deluded self-assurance most reliably delivers success. Cynics and realists tend to not understand this and thus don't take enough risks when they should, and are confined to mediocre results (compared to their peers in similar situations).

> Deluded self-assurance most reliably delivers success.

I don't believe so. However I do believe that projecting a deluded self-assuring aura helps convince people to follow you, but that doesn't mean that your internals acts that way. It is really hard to know what people really think underneath that facade, I am pretty sure much more is going on that people want to show.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#55

Post by crdrost »

Gatsky wrote: post #46
evrydayhustling wrote: post #21

Another good quote for the OP is Miguel De Cervantes, author if Don Quixote: "there is madness in too much sanity, and the greatest madness of all is to see things as they are instead of as they should be". He would know: Cervantes killed a rival on a duel at 17 and fled to sea. They were attacked by pirates and he fought well before getting his hand blown off and taken prisoner. He lived in captivity but befriended…

And another from The Magus by John Fowles: "...cynicism masks a failure to cope - an impotence, in short; and that to despise all effort is the greatest effort of all."

A Nana Grizol song concludes with the line,

    Cynicism isn't wisdom
    It's a lazy way to say that you've been burned.
    Seems, if anything, you'd be less certain
    After everything you've ever learned.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#56

Post by matheusmoreira »

bsuvc wrote: post #50
xwdv wrote: post #37

When you’ve been scammed, disappointed, heartbroken, cheated out, beaten up too many times in life, you will approach new things with cynicism. So many times things in life do not live up to expectations. Often you think you’re interacting with someone but really you’re just interacting with their ego, there is no genuine connection. They build up a rapport with you so they could later cash in on their influence and…

> do not live up to expectations I think this might be the key. Have you heard this expression before: Disappointment = expectations - reality Unfortunately I'm not sure offhand where that saying originated, but I think it is true, at least for me. I'll spare you a lecture on it because, believe me, I'm no expert. But it is an expression I try to remind myself of from time to time to cope with people and things that…

Nothing wrong with having expectations. Things are supposed to be good. Marriages are supposed to be forever. Justice is supposed to be done. Politicians are supposed to be honest. Governments are supposed to look out for us. Companies are supposed to provide good products and services.

Obviously reality falls short of expectations no matter what we do. Enough disappointment will demoralize anyone. It will shatter their understanding of the world, their sense of right and wrong, of cause and effect. Cynicism is born when the disturbing realities become the new expectations. Cynicists expect the world to keep disappointing them.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#57

Post by chainbear »

recursivedoubts wrote: post #53

my dear fellow cynics: hide it

Most of the ultra successful people I've known were optimists in speech, cynics in action.

Best to participate in the theatre. Once you play a role long enough but also seem "pragmatic" in action, others of the same ilk will find you and invite you behind the curtain.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#58

Post by a-dub »

adnzzzzZ wrote: post #51
paulpauper wrote: post #42

But what do I mean by being cynical? When you’re conversing with someone, it often easy to detect the frame through which they view the world and the interaction with you. Cynics think that the world is never changing on a fundamental level, but it only changes cosmetically, and superficially. Cynics may look at some new trend and call it “lipstick on a pig”. According to cynics, the world operates in a certain way,…

Deluded self-assurance most reliably delivers success. Cynics and realists tend to not understand this and thus don't take enough risks when they should, and are confined to mediocre results (compared to their peers in similar situations).

> Deluded self-assurance most reliably delivers success.

cynic!

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#59

Post by boltzmann_brain »

bsuvc wrote: post #50
xwdv wrote: post #37

When you’ve been scammed, disappointed, heartbroken, cheated out, beaten up too many times in life, you will approach new things with cynicism. So many times things in life do not live up to expectations. Often you think you’re interacting with someone but really you’re just interacting with their ego, there is no genuine connection. They build up a rapport with you so they could later cash in on their influence and…

> do not live up to expectations I think this might be the key. Have you heard this expression before: Disappointment = expectations - reality Unfortunately I'm not sure offhand where that saying originated, but I think it is true, at least for me. I'll spare you a lecture on it because, believe me, I'm no expert. But it is an expression I try to remind myself of from time to time to cope with people and things that…

You will not be disappointed if you have no expectations.

Re: Opt Out of Cynicism

#60

Post by esjeon »

paulpauper wrote: post #42

But what do I mean by being cynical? When you’re conversing with someone, it often easy to detect the frame through which they view the world and the interaction with you. Cynics think that the world is never changing on a fundamental level, but it only changes cosmetically, and superficially. Cynics may look at some new trend and call it “lipstick on a pig”. According to cynics, the world operates in a certain way,…

I agree. It's critical to have a crystal-clear view of the world than wrap yourself with sweet dream. Failing to do so will easily make the one look away from root problems deep in the ground, and concentrate on the surface issues. Cynics, on the other hand, hates the world, thus have no problem with overturning the entire stack built on top of the anyway-broken foundation.

Also, it's wrong to assume that cynicism leads to negative and passive attitudes. Cynics often bring bigger improvements faster than what people with positive attitude ever can, because, guess what, things suck. Being a cynic only means the one is negative about the current state and direction, and one can still be positive about the ideal state that the one believes in. Once that ideal is set, cynics can be the most fierce fighter for their own ideals.

Yet, for cynics to make progresses, it's important to get out of their own sweet spot and start moving. Ones who only love talking deserves all the criticism.

Post reply on HN