# Small steps in the battle against cynicism

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 20, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635 "2012-11-20T19:02:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635/1 "2012-11-20T19:02:28Z")

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I’ve been chatting through email with an interesting fellow, but certain things made me suspect he was probably going to try a Nigerian style scam on me at some point. After a few weeks of general back and forth to put me at ease it finally came.

He had an elaborate story about how a certain charity helped him as a child and hoped I would donate to them. Of course I checked it out and while the charity is real, the contact info he gave me for it was false.

Having expected this, but wanting to turn it into a positive experience, I donated to the real charity and sent him the thank you letter 🙂

What small victories have you had against cynicism, or what lemons have you turned into lemonade?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635/2 "2012-11-20T19:04:19Z")

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Didn’t cynicism just help you out there?

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635/3 "2012-11-20T19:28:31Z")

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I see what you did there.

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**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-steps-in-the-battle-against-cynicism/641635/4 "2012-11-20T19:32:24Z")

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I’d call that skepticism perhaps, but really it’s just being aware. Cynicism to me is more of a world view thing. I’d view the scammer as a cynic. If I were a cynic I wouldn’t have given him the rope to hang himself by, and I would have let the situation bum me out, rather than find a way to give me joy.