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05 July 2010
Cynicism 1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others: the public cynicism aroused by governmental scandals.
Nearly everyone I know, myself included at times, thinks cynically about every conversion topic that arises, every situation that unfolds and every news story that we see. I find that to be very annoying and even unnerving sometimes.
Nearly every time I make a statement or opinion about something, I feel as though I must qualify it by saying something to preempt the potential cynical remark that may follow. I must try to think of the ulterior motive that could be perceived by the other person and defeat it. Otherwise, the next thing someone says will be their theory of what I really meant by what I have just said. We're always trying to read into what the other person is saying or doing to try and find a dirty little secret that they may be hiding.
Don't you get tired of people doing that to you? I surely do. As I mentioned in another post, I am the type of person who says what he means and means what he says. I really want people to take my words at face value because rarely do I ever mean something different than what I say. The occasions that it happens with me is when I am joking around with friends and we're just having some fun. But when it's time to be serious, I want to be taken seriously because I am not kidding around.
When people look at you cynically, it shows a level of distrust from them in you. Am I really that untrustworthy whereby I cannot be taken seriously because you think I have an ulterior motive? That sure doesn't say much for me or maybe it says even less for you.
So please don't be so cynical or jaded when you're talking with people. Try trusting people for a change and taking them at their word. That used to mean something when you took someone at their word. I am working my best to try and be more trusting and believing of folks with what they say until they prove to me otherwise. I hear what you say, and I see what you do. If they're two different things, maybe you should consider shoring that up so you won't be looked at with a jaded eye.
You have MY word on it.