You know negativists.
They never have a happy word to offer. They sulk and soak up the joy from a room. They wipe the smile from anyone unfortunate enough to crash-land into their personal black hole of a stratosphere.
Cynics – rightfully in some cases, but unjustly in others (dismissing the idea that morality frequently has something better to do than sort through a dreck defined by self-made, fatalist whingers) – have always been tied to the negativist crowd.
This must change.
Really.
Cynics do something, instead of dwelling on nothing
The cynic knows the definition of proactive.
Negativist: Flat tire. Dead cell. In the middle of nowhere. Why bother replacing it with my spare when the world clearly hates me? It’ll blow just as quickly. Or I’ll hit quicksand. Yeah … quicksand’s always the best excuse to sit on my ass and complain without doing anything!
Cynic: Flat tire. Clearly a conspiracy between tire manufacturers, towing companies and car repairers to milk my wallet. Okay. Cell? Dead. Jack and spare wheel? Sigh.
Cynics (usually) aren’t fanatical about their vitriol
For many cynics, the words spouted from their mouths under the superficial cover of world-weariness are merely covers for something else: a desire for intelligent conversation, a curiosity about how hard one could be punched in the face for voicing brutal truths, or even a stab at humour.
Whatever the case, cynics are malleable when it comes to their opinions. Negativists?
Negativist: Nobody loves me. The world sucks.
P1: I love you! The world doesn’t suck!
Negativist: Well, I hate you. Which means the world sucks. Therefore, I win, and I’m still right.
P1: Fu…eh.
Cynics care about more than themselves
Instead of more about themselves, as applicable to the negativist.
The often intangible difference between the cynic and the soul-deadened asshole has, invariably, led to the former’s poor standing in the eyes of those rather better at standing behind happier convictions.
And while all negative types should be allowed their place in the world – I’ll give you a moment to reiterate cranially your mother’s ‘No joy without pain’ mantra – remember this.
The cynic wants to help you, and wants to do so by requiring you to cut through as little rose-coloured bullshit as possible.
So even if the next one you see punches you in the face for thanking them for their wisdom instead of telling them to shut up in the more time-honoured tradition, smile through your black eye and feel glad that they had the sense to grievously injure you as a demonstration of the futility of reverse-attitude platitudes.
That said, this here concludes a series (and the longest explanation of a site tagline that should be allowed without punches to the face being involved) which can be summarised in four words.
Cynics need hugs, too.
