One of the banes of my life is that people have always thought I was a cynic. I always used to respond by saying that a cynic is what an optimist calls a realist. But aside from that, I rejected the notion that I am a cynic with the counter-view that I am, in fact, one of the most optimistic people I know...it's just that people don't understand the nature of my optimism.
By optimist, I don't mean one of those people who think that "everything will turn out for the best", or who think that being optimistic is the same as being "happy" or cheerful. Indeed, my optimism is summed up in the quote attributed to Adlai Stevenson: Cheer up - the worst is yet to come.
In other words, I am a realist. Life is frequently difficult, and harsh things often happen. However, this doesn't mean we need take a sackcloth and ashes approach to existence; on the contrary, we should adopt the Stoic virtue of being honest enough to feel our emotions, and corageous enough to not be overwhelmed by them. For me, this is real optimism: understanding that suffering and hardship is just a fact of life, it doesn't mean anything (in the sense of being a comment on our worth as human beings), and even as a fact of life, it is not the most important or even the biggest fact of life. Accordingly, we need not descend into cynicism and despair; simply recognise realities for what they are and, within the limits and frailties of our humanity, hold our own against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as best we can.
But enough of the philosophy! Thanks to my good buddy Caro I now have the objective proof. See below...
| You Are 52% Cynical |
 Yes, you are cynical, but more than anything, you're a realist. You see what's screwed up in the world, but you also take time to remember what's right. |
1 comment:
Humph!!!
I'm still all for optimism - seeing the best in things and having a positive outlook in life. It worked for the VCE kids in their oral exam - it'll work for you too.
Try to look for the bright side and focus on that. I'm not saying that suffering doesn't exist - I know too well from bitter experience that it does - but I also know from very real experience that mind over matter - what you tell yourself about certain situations can also have a big effect.
Be Positive! Much more rewarding than cynicism.
Love and hugs
the ever optimistic
SB
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