Cynicism

I tend to write from the perspective of someone that is pessimistic and perhaps overly cynical. For the most part I operate in a manner that is quite opposite that mentality, but that negativity and cynicism does have a voice in my life. For a while I listened to that voice a bit too much. There were times in my life where that voice was pretty close to running the show.

I have been able to pull away from that mentality for the most part. Every once in a while it comes around with some force and I have to beat it back. Not often but often enough that I’m always on the lookout for it. The reason I stay alert is because I’m quite afraid of that voice. That fear is what let it conquer me the times that it did. I’m still afraid of it.

Recently I’ve learned to start using it to my advantage. It is a good voice to write from. If the voice exists anyway, why try to contain it? Why not let that voice speak? I’ve allowed that to happen in my writing. This has given that monster space to roam. I can sit back and watch it play. All the while gaining whatever insights it has to offer without the fear of it trampling or consuming me.

Life isn’t rosy. Pretending like it is can result in a type of insanity. We aren’t really built to handle the social stresses and complexities of modernity. We are built mostly to find food in nature and cooperate with other humans for survival. I’ve said it before and will again – the reason we were able to dominate the planet is our superior ability to cooperate with each other. No other animal in the animal kingdom can cooperate the way we do.

So to attempt to lock that dark monster up in the basement of ones mind will only result in a further jaded and more pissed off monster. Occasionally when we are distracted and our guard gets careless that monster will escape. I’m trying to make friends with that monster. It seems to be working to this point. He can express his views of the world and I can keep what resonates and disregard that which doesn’t.

Navigating our current existence creates these monsters. They are useful but only when properly understood. I don’t understand my monster, but I’m getting there. He’s still quite powerful. I’ve learned tricks along the way in how to corral him should he run off too far.

The cynic-monster allows me to hear other perspectives that I may otherwise ignore. Sometimes it’s necessary to be aware of the ugliness in the world. Seems a lot of people are aware of that ugliness and use it to empower or enrich themselves. Considering but not accepting the advice of an active cynic can lead to a pretty healthy and astute skeptic.

If I let fear rule me then I cannot function and accomplish the things that I want to accomplish. If I remain blind to the ugliness then when it finds me I’ll be totally unprepared to deal with it. If I can see a dark future only then can I begin to try to find ways to sneak light into it. When we ignore the cynic we are choosing ignorance.

The unfortunate reality of our current existence is that there are a lot of amoral and unethical people. These people aren’t the majority of the population. Actually in relation to the population at large their numbers are probably quite low. The issue is that it only takes a few to disrupt the lives of the many. We are seeing this currently with Putin and the war in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine is playing out on the global theater, but there are many other acts of aggression and deceit happening everyday by unknown actors. People taking advantage of the less powerful for their own gain. To assume that all is well with the world is to be willfully ignorant. Again, one needn’t allow that negativity to consume them, but actively ignoring it isn’t a solution. Eventually one will come face to face with that ugliness in some manner.

Being aware of the darkness that is present in our current society is the first step in eradicating that darkness. Chances are that we will never be rid of it completely, but being aware of it can help protect us. I try to not allow my awareness of the dark side of society to inform my entire worldview.

Like many people I choose to see the world through the eyes of my kids. I try to tap into their perspective because they are pure and untainted by the ugliest aspects of what we as a species are capable of. I am very aware of that ugliness and that is why I so often write about it, or write from the perspective of a cynic. It is my attempt to give that negativity space.

Essentially the point here being that we cannot outrun or escape the inevitable duality of human nature. For all the beauty and acts of compassion that we are capable of we also have a tendency for destruction and deceit. In our online world we can find it easy to live solely in one place or the other, but choosing to see the world as all evil or all good is a lie that won’t hold for long.

Seeing the bad along with the good gives us an informed and more realistic vantage point on our society. The only way to start limiting the bad is to accept that it is happening and drawing on the good of human nature as a place to find solutions. I allow my cynic to put its thoughts on the page so that I can plainly see its perspective and logic. From there I can begin to think about ways to bring the light of empathy, compassion, and understanding to that darkness.

I appreciate your attention and hope you’ve found value in this.
Thanks for reading.