# My extreme cynicism and negativity **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382 "2009-02-25T16:56:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/41 "2009-03-01T21:49:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Yeah, seriously, dude. Fuck you. > > 😃 Reported! :o ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/42 "2009-03-01T21:56:58Z")
Wait, sorry, you’re coming up to comps/quals in a challenging PhD program and you’re getting all freaked out that you’re being negative? I’d be freaked out for you if you WEREN’T acting like a total asshole misanthrope. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/43 "2009-03-02T20:08:50Z")
> [@flight](#): > > Have you been reading “The Secret”? Or “The Four Agreements”. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/44 "2009-03-03T03:32:25Z")
\*\*Ogre \*\*- I have always enjoyed trading geekery with you on the various guitar threads; you know your stuff and make your case in an articulate manner. While I agree with most of the other posters - you have a solid case for glass half full - I would take a different tack: you’re growing up. So you are focused on your cynical and negative behavior - have you thought about why? I would venture to guess that it _is not delivering the results you are looking for anymore_. The near-term buzz you get out of a juvenile jousting match doesn’t exceed, in fact doesn’t even cover, the longer-term regret from the ego burst, and the awareness that you should grow up. And if you want a life that you can feel good about over the long term, staying out of balance doesn’t make sense. Am I anywhere close? I am sorry you are going through this - but you know what you need to do; there is a time to put away childish things. Trust me on this - guys with big brains are built for the long-term; I was in my 40’s before I finally made the choice to change my behavior in this regard. The payoff, so far, has been profound. ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/45 "2009-03-03T15:59:24Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Well, you know what they say: “You are what you eat.” I thought they said we were supposed to eat what we kill. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/46 "2009-03-04T19:07:14Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re in a computational biology grad program right now, aren’t you? > > Tell us when you graduate and let us know if it’s cleared up by then. The OP is a grad student? Shheeeeeeiiittttt…that was easy to diagnose! If true, wait until after you graduate…see if it goes away. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/47 "2009-03-04T20:51:12Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > To be perfectly honest, I think SDMB attracts people like us. There’s a culture here which follows Cecil’s example of aloof sarcasm and superiority. Fortunately, we’re all fundamentally self-assured of our own awesomeness, so I think we’ll probably be OK. 🙂 I would agree with your first statement. However, there is a giant chasm between being a smart ass on a message board and being one in real life. I think the difference is very clear. Your second statement, I’m only as awesome as I think I am in RL. Oh, about 2 seconds before I catch a blow to the head.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382/48 "2009-03-04T21:46:39Z")
**Ogre** , let me ask you this…tell me what you feel about this statement now, and how you would have answered this 2 to 5 years ago… Would you rather be happy or be right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-extreme-cynicism-and-negativity/487382.md?page=2)