This is an important point. One of the things I really disliked about life in Italy was the cynical, defeatist attitude prevalent among certain people. "All the politicians are corrupt", "nothing will ever change", "why bother trying, they won't let anything happen", and so on and so forth. I realized it's a great way to ensure that nothing happens or changes.
Opt Out of Cynicism
41–50 of 336 posts
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#42But 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, the elites are always the same, and will always be the same. The cynics think we are always playing the same game that has always been played. For example, a cynic may think that media’s only purpose is to sells your attention to advertisers - like I did here. And often they might be right.
What is wrong with that. I would rather be a cynic and have the correct framing of the world than be too optimistic and deluded. Success at investing for example requires looking at things objectively.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#43"Pessimists sound smart. Optimists make money." is being used a lot by the Web3 crowd whenever questioned.
Yes, optimism has its benefits but beware of those weaponizing it.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#44But 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,…
It's also so much more complicated than this. I've known more than one person who didn't act as a cynic, they outwardly preached and proselytized this sort of "change the world" viewpoint, in order to attract attention and twitter followers. In a professional context they wanted to play the part of a "visionary" or whatever, and always acted positive about change. Yet, if you really get to know them and manage to ask the right question in a vulnerable moment, you would suddenly realize that their internal worldview is just about as cynical as it's possible to be.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#45Another 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 then there was Caesar who promised the pirates who captured him that he would be back. And he did come back for them. I suppose his ending wasn't the greatest, but Dante placed his betrayers into a special place in literary hell.
I didn't know this story so I looked it up [0]. According to Plutarch, it's true: Caesar was captured by pirates in his twenties, and was insulted by their lowball ransom of 20 talents--he thought he was worth at least 50. He told the pirates they should up the ransom and that once it was delivered and he was freed, he'd have them all crucified. They thought it was a pretty good joke. He wasn't joking. Once free, he raised an army and a fleet and went back to the pirate's camp, capturing them and having them thrown in prison. Apparently he showed them mercy by having their throats cut before they were crucified, however.
0: https://www.britannica.com/story/the-time-julius-caesar-was-...
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#46Another 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."
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#47But 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,…
Cassandra was always right, and always powerless to change anything. If you are speculating (not investing) and nothing more, then sure, you only want to see what is.
If you're creating, executing, advising, or actually investing, anchoring on what "is" risks losing to competition that suffers no such limitations.
If you believe you have no power to change things, then it's a self fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you can change things, you might be wrong. Which game you prefer to play is up to you.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#48I love the bracelet idea, I might use that for other purposes.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#49But 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,…
It's also so much more complicated than this. I've known more than one person who didn't act as a cynic, they outwardly preached and proselytized this sort of "change the world" viewpoint, in order to attract attention and twitter followers. In a professional context they wanted to play the part of a "visionary" or whatever, and always acted positive about change. Yet, if you really get to know them and manage to ask…
I wonder if folks say the same about me. It's possible to see the imperfections in the world, and yet be positive about how we operate in a world that's full of them. And no, they will never go away. Until sentience disappears, dissatisfaction will remain. But it doesn't have to mean anger, negativity, or cynicism.
Re: Opt Out of Cynicism
#50When 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 might anger me.