I've noticed recently that I have became very cynical. Human society recently seems to have few things that genuinely excite me. Its just another “Oh. This again.” occasion. Ive also noticed I'm turning into my father. Anyone know how I can avoid baldness / is there such thing as a hair transplant and how much would this cost?

I don't care about much going on in the world any more. This whole Egyptian revolution thing seems recycled as well. The world is just one big mess caused by elected idiots. I choose to just stay oblivious and accept that anyone who runs the world is just an idiot and any attempts they make to make it seem like a better place are inevitably going to fail because no matter how pure and good willed someone's motives are they're inevitably going to fall because no one can do anything on such a mass scale on their own and I guarantee that someone will want the charity brigade to fail and do their best to cause it to.

The world doesnt seem worth bothering with. Im going back to the notion that the world is square and therapists are witches who brain wash us into believing we're in the wrong so they can steal our money with placebos and weekly visits to sort out your “depression”.

Tl;dr: I'm feeling cynical. Anyone else feeling cynical get in here and tell us all why.

P.s: Don't quote me on anything Ive said or challenge it. You will be given a reaction face or an image macro in response.

Anyone else feeling cynical get in here and tell us all why.

I've been battling cynicism for a Long Time. There's any number of reasons to feel cynical.

My most recent reason? My own sister over-maxed three credit cards, defaulted, and was placed in collections. Was it because she suddenly lost her job? No. Medical crisis? Nuh-uh. No, she just wanted and bought, whether she had the money or not (not). We knew what she was doing, and told her to knock it off. Oh no: she could handle it. And you know what? She was right.

One bank gave her a tremendous grace period (I think it's 2 years) to pay off the balance. Another one (she owed, look at this: $19K) said they'd forgive 70% if she paid 30%. The third where she owed $7,000.00 said they'd forgive 90%. So she went back to the second one and (I love this) told them that they were unreasonable at 30% and so they agreed. She knew she didn't have $26,000.00 and she's been rewarded with getting more than $23,000.00 scot-free.

I feel soiled, being blood-related to her and all. And worse, I feel like a giant chump for actually working for years and years making far less than $23K.

What gets me through bad periods of cynicism is focusing on what I'm grateful for. Fostering gratitude is a skill like everything else, but once you start doing it, it doesn't matter what the clowns around you are doing. As cliched as it certainly is, you've got to be able to face the face in the mirror every morning, every night, otherwise not a whole lot is going to be worthwhile.

And then the second thing is to decide that there ARE some battles to take on — not all of them, but some: Yes! Then do it.

A Reaver
P.s: Don't quote me on anything Ive said or challenge it. You will be given a reaction face or an image macro in response.

Oh no not an image macro! Anything but that!

ayesinback
One bank gave her a tremendous grace period (I think it's 2 years) to pay off the balance. Another one (she owed, look at this: $19K) said they'd forgive 70% if she paid 30%. The third where she owed $7,000.00 said they'd forgive 90%. So she went back to the second one and (I love this) told them that they were unreasonable at 30% and so they agreed. She knew she didn't have $26,000.00 and she's been rewarded with getting more than $23,000.00 scot-free.

Your sister is amazing, what was the bank that forgave 90%?

although on the flipside her credit is going to be ruined for the rest of her life.

A Reaver
being a dick

Any more of that and it's a short sharp trip to spanky town >:|

Macro: bad.

Aye's sister… WTF?

ozoneocean

A Reaver
being a dick

Any more of that and it's a short sharp trip to spanky town >:|

That made me laugh more than it probably should have.




That thing with your sister is crazy, ayesinback! At least if she tries that again it probably won't go the same way.
Don't feel “soiled,” though. Good lord, I hope we're not all judged too badly for the things our relatives do. :\

ozoneocean

A Reaver
being a dick

Any more of that and it's a short sharp trip to spanky town >:|

Macro: bad.

You're only provoking macros. Unfortunately I feel a ban coming on if I don't stop using them.

And in response to ayes.

I dont get why you should feel soiled.
I'd feel more embarrassed. Is she ditsy? Im assuming she's ditsy.

@ayesinback: That's insane. Good luck on her ever getting a loan for anything ever again, though.

As for me: the education system in my state is screwed. About 65% of the foreign languages department in state univiersities in Louisiana have been cut, the life sciences dept. got slammed, and the entomology dept (where I'm in) has been ass-raped to the point where me and most other incoming grad students can't get our thesis hours because we can't get a major professor with any funding (plus the fact that they just layed-off the one professor I knew who could and definitely WOULD have helped me out in this situation doesn't help things either). Oh, and Louisiana is now the only state in the U.S. that allows the teaching of creationism (or “intelligent design” ) in public schools. Why the hell am I living in this state?!

Oh yeah, and on a possibly related note, from what I'm gathering, there seems to be a growing distrust of scientists (and as a result, scientific consensus in general) amoung the general public in the U.S.; I'm not sure if it's because people don't bother to read up or do actual research on subjects they know nothing about before acting like they'er some sort of experts in whatever field or what, but I keep running into people who are very opinionated about that get horribly defensive when you try to have a conversation with them about it because they realize that YOU realize that they know next to NOTHING about what they're talking about.

And yet we continue to wonder why each year, 16 other countries graduate more scientists than we do.

And I understand that the whole creationism/evolution debate has pretty much fallen by the wayside in most other western countries at this point?

Ugh…

People have an infinite capacity to be fools. Cynicism is often born of the frustration of having to accept these things. It's okay to be cynical some of the greatest minds in the history of our species have been cynics and crumudgens. Indeed embrace your inner crumudgen and let yourself laugh at the foibles of our species because we aren't changing into some be-sainted enlightened ideal any time soon. You only have guranteed control over yourself. It's a matter of knowledge and acceptance.

Cognitive-behavorial therapy works but you have to let it. You'd be surprised how firmly you're standing in the way of your own happiness. And don't worry every generation has thought that the world was hopeless, the youth incorrigable and stupid and that everything was coming to the end. But like it or not we're still here and we're cursed to live in interesting times. Might as well enjoy the ride it's gonna be a son-of-a-bitch.

Okay this is the part where you all nod your heads and say how wise it sounds but you don't buy any of it.

Now you know one reason why the sage laughs. lol!

As for evolutionism versus creationism? Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer, The Skeptic and Free Inquiry, join CSI and other organizations that fight for evolution and know you're not alone. Read the court decision from Pennsylvania from a few years back about teaching Creationism and rejoice that it ain't winning in the courts anytime soon. The amazing part is if a teacher creatively and according to the evidence taught the controversary between ID and Evolution, Evolution would win hands down. Again it's laughable and another example of our species' infinite capacity to be fools and believe weird things. Evidence doesn't matter. lol!

To misquote Gordon Gekko: “Cynicism is good!”

Seriously. It means you question things. It means you understand that all dogmas - left/right/religious/other - are basically wrong in at least one or more important respect. It means you can think for yourself.

The important thing is not to let it get you down. Understand it's something to smile wryly about, not something to wring your hands in despair over!

A Reaver
Macro in response to being told that macros as repsonses are not acceptable

Don't be a jackass, you know better Same. What was wrong with Frankkerr?

ayesinback

Anyone else feeling cynical get in here and tell us all why.

I've been battling cynicism for a Long Time. There's any number of reasons to feel cynical.

My most recent reason? My own sister over-maxed three credit cards, defaulted, and was placed in collections. Was it because she suddenly lost her job? No. Medical crisis? Nuh-uh. No, she just wanted and bought, whether she had the money or not (not). We knew what she was doing, and told her to knock it off. Oh no: she could handle it. And you know what? She was right.

One bank gave her a tremendous grace period (I think it's 2 years) to pay off the balance. Another one (she owed, look at this: $19K) said they'd forgive 70% if she paid 30%. The third where she owed $7,000.00 said they'd forgive 90%. So she went back to the second one and (I love this) told them that they were unreasonable at 30% and so they agreed. She knew she didn't have $26,000.00 and she's been rewarded with getting more than $23,000.00 scot-free.

That's great, more people should do it.

Anyone who believes that all banks are greedy bastards and wants to change things or make them more accountable should do that.

Whenever I'm feeling particularly misanthropic, I end up watching some random TED talks. They're filled with amazing and often actionable innovation that can make the world a better place- a nice response to drowning in the repetitive dysfunctions of day to day existence.

Excessive cynicism is generally experienced by people in their late teens and early twenties, generally borne of the illusion of wisdom from a presumed surfeit of knowledge.

:) Patronising much? Sorry :(

Everybody is cynical on occasion but it's not a good way to look at life. All it means is that you miss out on the good stuff.
-You could look at fireworks, turn away and sigh and then contemplate all the thousands of dollars being wasted on the tawdry, momentary spectacle, all in order to please a few child-minded fools…
-Or you could just keep on glancing up and enjoy the pretty colours like everyone else.

Genejoke
Anyone who believes that all banks are greedy bastards and wants to change things or make them more accountable should do that.

Maybe true if that money was actually the bank's money. But every time someone cons the system, it's not the corporations that pay. There's tighter rules, higher fees, lower interest, etc., that just makes it rougher for everyone else.

About “soiled”
My sister has confused wants/needs all her life, she asks for advice, and then turns around and ignores it. She knows how I stand on responsibility, which is why I didn't hear about this latest from her . I heard about it from my brother, who's also disgusted, but who only listens and refrains from comments/lectures. Between my brother and me, good cop/bad cop, trying to keep her from her perpetual con games (and out of major trouble), we start to wonder who the idiot is — which points right back to Genejoke's observation.

You see someone get away with that, it makes your own attempts to stay “clean” a little more difficult, and definitely more frustrating, which is where I wholly agree with Bravo's observation: “Cynicism is often born of the frustration of having to accept these things,”

Someone
Maybe true if that money was actually the bank's money. But every time someone cons the system, it's not the corporations that pay. There's tighter rules, higher fees, lower interest, etc., that just makes it rougher for everyone else.

I can't answer that without sounding like kyupol. but yes for something like that to have an affect it has to be masses of people doing it.

yeah the banks make sure their customers cover the short fall, the will as long as they can get away with it, same with politicians and expenses. Any time some one can get away with something they will do it. yup that's me and cynicism right there.

skoolmunkee

A Reaver
Macro in response to being told that macros as repsonses are not acceptable

Don't be a jackass, you know better Same. What was wrong with Frankkerr?

I apologize for the macro but my general dickery stands. If Im seen as a dick for not wanting to debate then that will just have to be the way it is.

As for what was wrong with my previous accounts. I didnt want to be constantly having my attention grabbed when someone uses the word same and the last account was a 5 year old account I not longer wish to be associated with due to the fact that as a 15 year old I was quite stupid and wish to leave that behind. I no longer believe hawthorn heights to be a good band nor do I think that I should be a “non conformist” because everyone else is doing it.

My comment was just about the macro. :]

I know. Im just covering everything and some things that werent asked.

ozoneocean
Excessive cynicism is generally experienced by people in their late teens and early twenties, generally borne of the illusion of wisdom from a presumed surfeit of knowledge.

I don't think it's just that though. It's also the age were you're trying to find where you fit in the world and that a lot of things taught to you(with good intentions) were lies.

19-20 also kind of sucks because you're expected to grow up from your teenage ways yet the 21+ crowd doesn't want you yet.

Genejoke
I can't answer that without sounding like kyupol.

Lol

ozoneocean
Everybody is cynical on occasion but it's not a good way to look at life. All it means is that you miss out on the good stuff.

Completely agree.

To loosely quote my idol, Richard Feynman, there something I tell people that are cynical/angry/disgruntled/disappointed with the world. It is indeed nice to think of a world where humans didn't exist and there was no war or anything to worry about. In fact, much of the universe is just like that. We can think of a galaxy or planet where humans haven't touched and imagine what that may be like. As where examining this place - pristine and untouched by anything except for the fundamental elements that we've come to known, it's a spectacle to behold. But then when we turn our objective minds back to Earth, where life forms exist and a society builds upon itself…suddenly it becomes a phenomena.

To be fair I do enjoy my life and I don't think I have such a bad one. I have a girlfriend who even though shes been a pain in the past and caused me a lot of emotional and mental harm she has changed a great deal. I know people can change and I've witnessed that first hand but I'm just saying that there's a lot wrong with the majority of the worlds population. I personally don't see a reason to bother with it though. Maybe its not so much cynicism and more like choosing to say “fuck the rest of the world. Whats going on here is just fine.” One thing I do feel for is natural disaster. The problem though is that other countries trying to get involved just seems like show boating. “Look at us. We helped the most.” I may just be a dick who likes going on about his own personal point of view but… Ok. So I'm just a dick who likes going on about his own personal point of view. What of it?

I don't even think Im making sense any more.
Cynicism can also spawn entertainment. Look at Yahtzee. A massively cynical man yet one of the best reviewers on the internet.

ozoneocean
Excessive cynicism is generally experienced by people in their late teens and early twenties, generally borne of the illusion of wisdom from a presumed surfeit of knowledge.

Now now! You don't always get the luxury of choosing how you feel, no matter what your age.

Being happy and being excited are often a matter of choice and outlook, and being attractive or cool are often also a matter of choice, but that's something you have to learn and you really can't tell anyone else without sounding preachy or vapid! There are lots of things of that nature that can't be shared, because one has to come to understand them.

Which doesn't make Same wrong or ignorant, because the world isn't inherently awesome or terrible - it just means he has a different outlook, and there's nothing wrong with that regardless of age! He's entitled to his own feelings.

I'm all for cynicism as a world view: everything you hear from above is bullshit and whenever human beings are concerned it's going to go tits ups. Well yes, with this approach you're going to be 100% right 99% of the time - lets do it!

But to use that as an excuse to just sit on your ass or worse still, buy into shagging the system for your own benefit - well if you're going to be an asshole at least take responsibility - don't blame the rest of the world for your lack of backbone you mollusc.

blindsk

ozoneocean
Everybody is cynical on occasion but it's not a good way to look at life. All it means is that you miss out on the good stuff.

Completely agree.

You rule and your quote about Richard Feynman was awesome!

Ochitsukanai

ozoneocean
Excessive cynicism is generally experienced by people in their late teens and early twenties, generally borne of the illusion of wisdom from a presumed surfeit of knowledge.

Now now! You don't always get the luxury of choosing how you feel, no matter what your age.

Bum, bum, bums!
That's why I used the word “generally” not once but twice. I know how to cover my bum ^_^

Man, I miss Ryuwolf's constant comments in the rant thread about how awesome life is. At first his constant positivity grated a bit, but then I found it pretty cool.

I love how this has turned into a debate. Maybe I posted this in the wrong thread.

A Reaver
I love how this has turned into a debate. Maybe I posted this in the wrong thread.

Oh litle one… you know nothing of the world yet :)

Cynicism is serious F***ing business. Read up on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynics

ozoneocean
You rule and your quote about Richard Feynman was awesome!

Thanks! Glad someone else appreciates that he's a pretty cool guy. :)

ozoneocean

A Reaver
I love how this has turned into a debate. Maybe I posted this in the wrong thread.

Oh litle one… you know nothing of the world yet :)

Cynicism is serious F***ing business. Read up on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynics

What does that have to do with it Mr condescending?
You know what. I give up on this topic.
Im sticking by my opinions.

A Reaver
What does that have to do with it Mr condescending?

:)
You said you loved how it “turned into a debate”. I provided an example of why the topic is serious and genuinely debatable.

Cynicism is an ancient Greek school of philosophy, not just an outlook or a state of mind. Many have trod that road before you, before all of us.