★Reading Social Cynicism In Others?

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  thread created July 2015
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• ** Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷSocial cynicism is a form of pessimism that takes itself to be “above” optimism and idealism, as if those were more naive stances rather than merely another choice of perspective.

Social Cynicism

• ** Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷThe goal of childhood is to become an individual; the goal of adulthood is to give that individuality away. The task of childhood is to separate; the task of adulthood is to connect. _{James W. Jones}

Social Cynicism

Why are some people so cynical of others?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷPerhaps the most important reason is that being cynical enhances our chances of survival. In a dog-eat-dog world, a world in which every person is looking out for his or her own interests, it makes sense to be cynical of others. In such a world, a person who implicitly distrusts others and is thus constantly on guard will likely survive longer than one who implicitly trusts others and gives them the benefit of the doubt.

However, what if you don’t have to worry about survival-e.g., what if your basic needs are taken care of? Would it make sense to be cynical even in such circumstances?

No, not if you were interested in maximizing your well-being and happiness. There are at least three reasons why social cynicism erodes well-being and happiness. The first reason is a relatively obvious one: when you are cynical, you tend to worry a lot more than you would if you were not cynical, and the constant worrying releases cortisol, a stress hormone that is very damaging for emotional well-being, as work by Sopolsky and others has shown.

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  Second, a cynical person will tend to behave in a way that vitiates the environment around him, thus generating more negativity.
  How does one break the cycle of cynicism?

Breaking any habit starts with the realization that one has a problem. Breaking the habit of cynicism can be particularly difficult, since most people don’t even realize that they are cynical. So, the place to start is to assess whether you are more cynical than you should be.

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  How would you know this?

I think there are two warning signs. First, do your closest friends and family think that you are more negative than you should be, especially when interpreting not just someone else’s but even their behaviors? It can sometimes be difficult to figure out what your friends and family think of you, but one way is to notice what they say to you when you are having an argument: are you routinely accused by your friends and family as someone who is overly negative?
to read article in full

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_{threads/posts with overlapping significance coming soon}
not too many people are creating threads these days…probably change soon with all of the new people joining…Though we have some threads which offer something that says this in a more positive way/upbeat way…
The Gentle Art Of Blessings contributed by Flowergirl
Heart and Life Health contributed by [myself] Appreciating
How To Make The World A Happier Place contributed by [myself] Appreciating
Official Dance For Kindness contributed by [myself] Appreciating
Allow The Boomerang [kindness video] contributed by [myself] Appreciating
consistently thankful contributed by [myself] Appreciating
In Choosing To Be a Positive Force contributed by [myself] Appreciating
Any Thought That Is Passed On Often Enough [myself] Appreciating
Stop Talking About It contributed by Robert
Trust In God contributed by Robert
Just Feel Good contributed by Robert
Lemons Into Lemonade contributed by Robert
Getting Weepy contributed by Robert
Everything Is Really Going Wonderfully contributed by Robert
Compare /yourself To No One contributed by Robert
to be continued…

Social Cynicism