4 ms·

I think a big part of the problem is that we have a concept of cynicism at all. It's very similar to the conspiracy theorist label. There are known conspiracies

I think a big part of the problem is that we have a concept of cynicism at all. It's very similar to the conspiracy theorist label. There are known conspiracies. Big ones. It's not that crazy to be a conspiracy theorist. It is crazy to think that we've been visited by aliens or that the elite are reptiles. Thinking those things does make a person a conspiracy theorist. That doesn't mean that all conspiracy theories are crazy. In the same way, not all cynicism is petulant and hopeless. But when a population is trained to recognize and dismiss cynics that is frequently what they become.

maxerickson 10y ago
George Bernard Shaw sort of made a quip about this: [The] power of accurate observation ... is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
krapp 10y ago
>In the same way, not all cynicism is petulant and whiny. That's true, but most of it is, and I don't think that's entirely accidental. Many cynics are cynics because society expects them to be. People mistrust the government before they really even understand what it is. >It's just that when a population is trained to recognize and dismiss cynics that is frequently what they become. I would argue the population has been trained to be cynical in order to disengage them from politics, lead them to expect nothing from the system, and make them more easily manipulated. It does seem evident that there is a feedback loop between the cynicism of voters and politics.
- MawNicker 10y ago
  > I would argue the population has been trained to be cynical in order to disengage them from politics I actually agree. However, I think the discussions we need to be having are ultimately cynical. We need to be able to tolerate it. The opinion you've just expressed is terribly cynical and that doesn't undermine it's legitimacy.

4 ms·

I think a big part of the problem is that we have a concept of cynicism at all. It's very similar to the conspiracy theorist label. There are known conspiracies

by MawNicker 10y ago

maxerickson 10y ago
George Bernard Shaw sort of made a quip about this: [The] power of accurate observation ... is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
krapp 10y ago
>In the same way, not all cynicism is petulant and whiny. That's true, but most of it is, and I don't think that's entirely accidental. Many cynics are cynics because society expects them to be. People mistrust the government before they really even understand what it is. >It's just that when a population is trained to recognize and dismiss cynics that is frequently what they become. I would argue the population has been trained to be cynical in order to disengage them from politics, lead them to expect nothing from the system, and make them more easily manipulated. It does seem evident that there is a feedback loop between the cynicism of voters and politics.
- MawNicker 10y ago
  > I would argue the population has been trained to be cynical in order to disengage them from politics I actually agree. However, I think the discussions we need to be having are ultimately cynical. We need to be able to tolerate it. The opinion you've just expressed is terribly cynical and that doesn't undermine it's legitimacy.