# Cynicism: Sign of a corrupt soul? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628 "2002-03-28T21:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/1 "2002-03-28T21:35:51Z")
My local paper offers a column in the editorial section, called “[Zing](http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/opinion/2947636.htm)”, where readers can write or e-mail in their little one-liner zingers, as opposed to writing an entire letter to the editor. One of today’s Zings gave me pause. It said, “Cynicism is usually the sign of a corrupt soul.” I’m still thinking this one over, but I think I take offense to this. I’m not sure being cynical is a bad thing at all – more like a realistic attitude to me. I’ve always believed cynics to be people with their eyes and minds wide open. Perhaps that word does not mean what I think it does. Before I open this up to comment, thought we should define some terms for the purpose of discussion. My dictionary, a Webster’s II New Riverside edition, defines a cynic as, “One who believes all people are motivated by selfishness.” Same dictionary defines cynical as, “Scornful of the virtue or motives of others.” Do you agree with this Zing? What about the definition my dictionary gives of these words? What do you think? True, false or utter B.S.? Being a self-labeled cynic, do ya s’pose my soul is corrupt? (That one may be a rhetorical question:rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/2 "2002-03-28T21:41:18Z")
I’d say cynicism is the sign of someone who’s been around the block a few times, and has developed a healthy, realistic defense mechanism. —“The East Side Eve Arden” ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/3 "2002-03-28T21:44:23Z")
Perhaps the assumption here is that, since one is not BORN a cynic (you came shooting outta your mama basically trusting everyone), cynicism has to be the result of “outside influences” (this theory also assumes that the soul is in its purest state at birth), i.e., “bad” things happened to you and led you to consider the world and the people in it to be highly suspect. Under this theory, your idea that your cynicism (the idea, in short that people kinda suck) is actually _realism_ just drives the point home. In other words, your cynicism is so deeply imbedded that you don’t even see it, hence your soul must be REALLY dirty up under there.😉 ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/4 "2002-03-28T22:04:54Z")
**Eve** couldn’t have hit the nail any better on the head. ---
**Author:** ![Journeyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@Journeyman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Journeyman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/5 "2002-03-28T22:44:23Z")
Well, if cynicism is the mark of a corrupted soul, what about hopeless romantics? ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/6 "2002-03-28T23:15:10Z")
Are we talking about cynicism, here or skepticism? It seems to me that skepticism is a laudable response to the real world. As a matter of self-defense you doubt and question everything. As a friend of mine once said, “Every one is to be considered a lying son-of-a-bitch until they show otherwise.” On the other hand, the cynic assumes that everyone is a lying son-of-a-bitch and refuses to consider that there can be any other possibility or that there can be any evidence of any other possibility. The cynic has a closed mind and is self-persuaded of the infallibility of his own bad opinion of every one else. The skeptic, on the other hand is susceptible to proof and persuasion. Infallible people tend to be bad company (as this message board demonstrates again and again). ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/7 "2002-03-28T23:25:39Z")
Thanks, but this isn’t helping at all. 😃 Now, since you’ve all made such good points… I’m even more confused. I’m going to slink off to contemplate this a bit more… and also I need to start worrying about who’s getting booted off Survivor tonight. Yes, I have a short attention span. Thanks again for your input and keep 'em coming! Surely, I’ll get this issue straightened out in my head… this millenium. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/8 "2002-03-29T04:23:22Z")
“The power of accurate observation is often called cynicism by those who lack it.” --George Bernard Shaw ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/9 "2002-03-29T04:47:19Z")
One thing about cynicism is that it is a self-defense mechanism- by assuming the worst of people, you feel superior for being “open-minded” and it rationalizes why you don’t want to fraternize with people (I assume a lot of cynics can also be consider loners. I know I can). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/10 "2002-03-29T05:07:36Z")
Ambrose Bierce: > [@](#): > > CYNIC, n. > A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. ---
**Author:** ![Jenner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@Jenner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenner)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/11 "2002-03-29T06:08:38Z")
Well, a little cynicism is a good thing. It’s healthy, and it means you have a realistic grasp of the world. But have you ever met a genuine diehard cynic? They’re paranoid jerks, basically. They can’t form meaningful relationships with human beings because they assume the worst in everybody. I’ll take the hopeless romantic any day. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/12 "2002-03-29T12:26:42Z")
A cynic would say we all have corrupt souls, but at least the cynics are honest about theirs. ---
**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/13 "2002-03-29T13:08:21Z")
That was good, **widdershins**. I like that. I also what Lily Tomlin said. Something to the effect that no matter how cynical you get, it’s impossible to keep up. Seems to me a matter of degree. There’s bitter, angry cynicism, and there’s humorous, resigned cynicism. Most people don’t like bitterness (though I like a certain amount of it, as long as it isn’t nasty and mean-spirited). But in either case, I’m not sure it’s a sign of a corrupt “soul.” (Talking about just what a soul is would lead us to GD, I’m sure.) In some cases, it’s a sign of open eyes and a realistic outlook. In some cases, I think it’s a sign of having been badly hurt in the past. That doesn’t make a person corrupt. The belief that our acts are motivated by self-interest doesn’t mean that everyone sucks. We can behave very decently toward each other out of self-interest, if we have a broad enough perspective. Cynicism can be a very good thing, if we don’t take it too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/14 "2002-03-29T14:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Devilman Palmer \* > \*\*Well, a little cynicism is a good thing. It’s healthy, and it means you have a realistic grasp of the world. > > But have you ever met a genuine diehard cynic? They’re paranoid jerks, basically. They can’t form meaningful relationships with human beings because they assume the worst in everybody. > > I’ll take the hopeless romantic any day. \*\* Yes, an extreme cynic is a pain in the a$$. On the other hand, a real cynic would look for ulterior motive behind the little item in the Zing notice. Maybe the writer’s target was some particular cynic to be made uncomfortable so that something could be put over on him (or her)? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/15 "2002-03-29T20:40:10Z")
I’m not cynical, I’m a realist. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/16 "2002-03-29T23:14:26Z")
Well, I have been called an extreme cynic, and I dont really care what others think about me. And I don’t have a “corrupt soul”. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/17 "2002-03-29T23:15:39Z")
Haha. I didn’t even read your post until after I posted mine David. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/18 "2002-03-29T23:28:12Z")
I shouldn’t think that cynicism is the hallmark of a corrupt soul any moreso than excessive sunshine and puppydogs are. ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cynicism-sign-of-a-corrupt-soul/100628/19 "2002-03-29T23:42:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spavined Gelding \* > Are we talking about cynicism, here or skepticism? It seems to me that skepticism is a laudable response to the real world. As a matter of self-defense you doubt and question everything. As a friend of mine once said, “Every one is to be considered a lying son-of-a-bitch until they show otherwise.” This is an excellent point. Just last night, a friend of mine got pissed at me for being a skeptic. She has met someone online. He is the brother of a friend of ours, lives relatively near us, but he is overseas at the moment fighting the good fight for our country. After talking to him for about a month now, she wants to send him photos of herself in lingerie, to which I said, “Are you crazy? This guy could be a total jackass! Besides, do you really want pix of yourself just floating around out there?” She’s still pissed at me. Oh well, at least pix of me in lingerie in the hands of strange men will never come back to haunt me.