I think it's no big secret that my views have pretty much degraded as of late. The little bit of cautious, optimistic happiness I once held is meaningless, pointless, worthless, futile, or whatever you wish to call it. At the moment, all I can do is look at the world with contemptuous eyes to see what comes around the corner to screw me over, those around me, or hurt someone else. This seems to be only compounded by the daily crap that's spewed forth in the news. Personally, I would love to stop reading the news, however I feel that such a move would leave me ignorant to the world around me as I would become an uneducated person with a spiteful attitude.

Think what truly ticked me off as of late was an article about a middle school principal who decided to cancel honor's night, honor's night being an event which rewards students who maintained good grades for those who are unfamiliar with the concept. The principal's main reasoning behind all of this was "it would hurt the feelings of those students who didn't make it," and decided to make the "everyone's a winner" all inclusive awards night.

Now, this is just my "cynical" view mind you, but that attitude of "everybody is a winner" is something children abandon when they graduate elementary school, at least that's what I did when I went from elementary school to middle school. There are winners and losers. Losers are tought to have a sense of sportsmanship or being a "good sport" about things, while learning how to cope with defeat. The main reason behind that ideal, from the perspective I gained, is to breed that sense of learning to respect others accomplishments and inspire yourself to do better the next time. I guess those ideals instilled within me were wrong.


Anyways, to the main point of this post, are there any recent events that have made you somewhat cynical on the way you look at the world?

I don't tend to pay much attention that doesn't affect me. I don't read or watch the news much at all apart from tech and science news. The media love covering depressing stories and just reading the BBC front page can sometimes make it seem like the world is going down the toilet. It's not that I don't care, it's just that it's not worth me worrying or paying much attention to.

I just focus on what's important to me, and what purpose I serve to others around me. Taking each day at a time and really making the most out of everything. If I manage to help a customer in work, help a friend out or make someone laugh then I've made a positive impact to someone that day. I make the most of my family and friends, and spend as much time around the people I care about as possible. I go in to work with a positive attitude, go out and spend time with friends as much as possible and just generally enjoy life.

You could say I live in my own little world and chose to ignore everything else, which is kind of true I guess. But then if it doesn't affect me, then why worry about it? It stops me feeling cynical and depressed about things that genuinely don't matter, and make the most of what really does.

I believe my positive outlooks on the world outweighs the negative ones. Sure I see and hear news that I don't approve of, but I don't see any reason to focus on them when I have better and more reasonable news and things to think about.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

I've had my ups and downs in my personal life as well, but I accept and overcome the obstacles, and grow stronger from them. That's what makes people strong in my opinion; being able to overcome obstacles.

Spring always brings out the worst in me. Allergies, midterms, and DST

Eh...I am probably a bit more Cynical right now. I always am after I break up with someone I have been with or vice versa. [censored] 2 1/2 years and just suddenly done. Weird feeling. I am at that I'm-not-sure-if-this-was-for-good-or-ill-so-[censored]-everyone-and-everything-until-I-figure-that-out stage.

So yup, holding a unhealthily cynical viewpoint atm. Usually I am pretty positive though. But the above and my teachers deciding Spring Break means give your students 2 projects, 3 papers and haveth em read two books is a bit of a mood dampener.

I have come to the conclusion that the more time you spend on this site, and to an extent the Internet in general, the more cynical you get.

Bad [censored] happens all the time, it has always happened an will always happen, to loose optimism is to let the bad win, [censored] letting the bad win.

The only thing I'm still cynical about are people that are cynical. I do not understand what the point is of being cynical or why it's an attitude people chase after and promote within themselves. Searching the news and things like that about the outside world is not the way to be happy. The way to be happy is by finding it within yourself, not by finding it elsewhere. Sitting around and complaining about things you have no control over is pointless. If you just wish for the world to be the way you want it to be, whether it's little things like a personal relationship or big things like war between countries, you'll never be happy.

I think the modern minded views of "everyone's a winner" is wrong on so many levels as it teaches kids that everyone gets a trophy so you don't have to strive to succeed and be the best you can be. I remember going to my cousins little league banquet (ages 10-13 range iirc) and every kid on every team got a trophy. I bluntly asked him if he did anything worthy of a trophy...he said showed up to nearly every game

I've actually lost a great deal of prior cynicism over the past year. I have no idea what is causing this.

Luckily I still have well over the preferred amount, plus a hefty reserve.

If you don't learn how to fail properly you won't be able to handle failure, which can lead to a wide range of nasty behavior when you lose.

Let me comment on the "No Winners or Losers" part of your post. I work in a awards shop where we do trophies, plaques and awards. Participation trophies, or "Everyone gets a trophy" is good for business but I do understand why it's a bad thing. Kids at young ages need "Participation" trophies to give them an incentive to continue. When you get to a certain age than I do agree that we need trophies and awards for winners and that's it. When you raise a generation of "Everyone wins and no one loses" than you get to a point where there is no incentive to do anything because why try when you "Win" for doing nothing.

The economy is failing, everybody is out to get each other, We are on the brink of war, the weather is horrible, it's not safe to walk the streets at night, people kill people for pennies, Countries are starving.

The world is a horrible place, nobody can ever make a difference but if you walk through the day with a smile on your face and simply disregard the news as "until it directly affects me, i don't care" you will be a happier person.

This always works for me

Anypony from the pony threads now know my displeasure at the writers of MLP:FiM and now I'm starting to back away from the franchise. Nothing irks me more when writers "nuke the frige"---it can almost ruin things.

Maybe... I'd like to hope that that's not true.. but I'm a pretty cynical person

I used to be very cynical but I am now less so due to meeting a certain person. Anyway, I still AM more cynical than a lot of people who consider themselves cynical, and way more cynical than the average person. Especially when it comes to the topics of politics and "traditional values".


Apologies wise sage, I'll shut up while you instruct everyone on how to be happy.

No need to be rude. I'm not trying to tell anyone to shut up.

I went through my cynical phase years ago. Now I maintain a healthy scepticism towards salesmen and politicians but I'm frequently encouraged by how decent and generous most ordinary people are towards each other.

All my views are excellent.
Yeah this. Excluding allergies.

I once came third in a dance competition ... when there were only three participants in my category! I did like the trophy, but it's not like I viewed it as anything other than the cheap plastic it was. It's not like it fooled me into thinking I was the next Margot Fonteyn or anything. That's the thing about the everyone-wins mentality - most kids are acutely aware of their own failings and rankings against other students.

Yes, I got certificates for "consistent effort", but what the heck does that mean? I played nice for a term? That I valued were the ones for achievement, and I got those, but I had to work my butt off for them. You can dress it up as much as you like, the only results in life that count are hard-earned and rare.

And don't even get me started on the allergies.

I jest. Simply pointing out that assuming what makes you (or many people) happy is what makes everyone happy is rather arrogant.

I don't see being cynical as a bad thing so long as you're not overly pessimistic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_et1rgL3e5s&feature=youtube_gdata_player
You can say that Conans father is being cynical at 1:09 but those are wise words to live by...trust me, you can't trust anyone

Perhaps you're right.

I would consider myself a cynic to a certain degree, but not overtly. I've built my own little circle of family, friends, pets... that's enough for me. The world can go [censored] itself.

Assuming you're more cynical than the average cynic is rather arrogant

Yup, I would expect at a softball game for 6 and 8 year olds, however, I would not expect that for a little league game for 10 to 13 year olds. Cynicism has pretty much caused me to lose pride in what I do and the faith of why I should even try if you have whiny little people that complain until they get things their way. I have no problem when a person presents proper arguments to why they feel something should have been different, but lately, I just hear this whine of "I didn't get my way, I WANT IT NOW!!!"

I can't really take it further then that because it just gets into politics, racism, etc....


I think HS was where I treasured awards the most because you truly earned them, same as College. It wasn't a pat on the back where people attended school for a whole week type of thing, or got an A in one class. Still remember that award given to one girl at my HS who had perfect attendance for her entire life from elementary school to middle school and through HS.

When it comes down to it however, they are just pieces of paper.


My main problem maybe the cynical views I hold going beyond normal to where they quite pessimistic, almost to an extreme, along the lines of "o great, what comes next to ruin my life/lives of others around me?"

It's hard to describe in all honesty. I feel like all those smiles that I give are hollow, just smiling to keep up appearances for others that i'm "happy."