Cynicism; (noun); Derived from the Greek word for dog, it first described a current of Ancient Greek philosophy. The cynic ringleader Diogenes of Sinope was described as "Socrates gone mad". The cynics pursued The Good without minding any other values. This meant they could jerk of at dinner tables, shit in public and live in barrells. Diogenes was said to live '"like a dog", hence the name, cynicism.
Nowadays, cynicism means an attitude in life that is conscious about morally bad or evil acts, but makes a joke out of them or commits them anyway. The cynic is blasé, he thinks everything is stupid or redundant and tends to sigh a lot.
Cynicism is said to be linked to hypocrisy. The hypocrite wants to convince other people of the fact that he is doing the right thing, whereas he knows he is not. The cynic doesn't want to convince anybody. He is honest to the extreme. His friends tend to describe him as dark, evil, terribly offensive or hilariously funny.
Nowadays, cynicism means an attitude in life that is conscious about morally bad or evil acts, but makes a joke out of them or commits them anyway. The cynic is blasé, he thinks everything is stupid or redundant and tends to sigh a lot.
Cynicism is said to be linked to hypocrisy. The hypocrite wants to convince other people of the fact that he is doing the right thing, whereas he knows he is not. The cynic doesn't want to convince anybody. He is honest to the extreme. His friends tend to describe him as dark, evil, terribly offensive or hilariously funny.
Cynicism.
"Yesterday my aunt died. Well, at least we got free coffee."
"Global poverty is a real problem. Then again, so are pigeons."
"Women should have the right to vote for any man they want to surpress them."
"Yesterday my girlfriend told me she was pregnant. So I pushed her of the stairs. She fell down and bled all over the floor. Now I have to get a new rug. Fuck my life."
"Yesterday my aunt died. Well, at least we got free coffee."
"Global poverty is a real problem. Then again, so are pigeons."
"Women should have the right to vote for any man they want to surpress them."
"Yesterday my girlfriend told me she was pregnant. So I pushed her of the stairs. She fell down and bled all over the floor. Now I have to get a new rug. Fuck my life."
by De laatste cynicus May 14, 2010
Get the Cynicism mug.To be a cynical asshole. Mainly thinking of everything as "shit" or "shitty" even if only a little bit of that thing was shown. It also means to insult anyone that disagrees with you. Even if the person was being very respectful about it.
Basically a troll.
Basically a troll.
I saw a guy playing minecraft. That game looks like shit.
Wii is a non-modern fece-like box of turds!
HARRY POTTER SUCKS.
Dude you have serious cynicism.
Someone placing opinion: I do think this thing is of unsubstancial quality.
Someone diagreeing: I don't really agree with your state-
THEN U SUK.
Wii is a non-modern fece-like box of turds!
HARRY POTTER SUCKS.
Dude you have serious cynicism.
Someone placing opinion: I do think this thing is of unsubstancial quality.
Someone diagreeing: I don't really agree with your state-
THEN U SUK.
by Random Shenanigans June 29, 2011
Get the Cynicism mug.The only thing you've managed to flip around is Cynicism. The philosophy that materialism is to be rejected and the wealthy, successful, and people in positions of power are to be mocked and ridiculed.
Hym "In the context of cynicism I am a modern Diogenes
Enigmatic figure, genius, and lyrical prodigy
I can't be shamed, blamed, or gamed don't try to bother me
This isn't a matter of effort nigga this shit is bodily"
Enigmatic figure, genius, and lyrical prodigy
I can't be shamed, blamed, or gamed don't try to bother me
This isn't a matter of effort nigga this shit is bodily"
by Hym Iam April 2, 2023
Get the Cynicism mug.Hym "The truth makes me feel bad so I rail against cynicism and recede into solipsism. Don't listen to the cynic or I'll have a mental breakdown, like Jordan. Better to fill your mind with positive sounding lies and then regurgitate them into the internet. Then, when you make money from regurgitating the positive sounding lies, you can pretend it's the positive sounding lies and not the getting pays to spout them. Then you have fucking gas station workers repeating the positive sounding lies without ever achieving the outcome."
by Hym Iam February 8, 2024
Get the Cynicism mug.Bitch, you do not understand cynicism at all. There's this bitch that is selling a book on cynicism. Right? But it isn't even close to cynicism! It's like this vapid rejection of stoicism where she calls on you to reject truth entirely and use lies and "creating your own narrative" to curate reality.
Hym "And it sounds a lot like the Solipsistic Machiavellianism I was critiquing before branded as Cynicism. Cynicism is the wholesale rejection of social norms and viewing the world as it truly is unfiltered by modern sensibilities. It's literally just calling a spade a spade in the absolute. When Diogenes asks Alexander the Great where to find his father's corpse... Not only does he ignore entirely the decorum that is supposed to be associated with Alexander's title but upfront with his intentions to rob his father's corpse. He suffers no delusions about how the world really is. But THAT she shit is pedaling? Doesn't even resemble cynicism."
by Hym Iam March 6, 2025
Get the Cynicism mug.1) Attempting to act detached and “cool” in a way taught to the kids by MTV-affiliated celebrities.
2) A condition often seen among adolescent humans. It typically arises when a individual learns to perceive herself in a objective and rational third-person perspective, but due to her inexperience, fails to appreciate the irony of what existentialist philosophers have coined "The Absurd". The absurd human condition; the understanding of how our lives, on a cosmic scale, are futile and unimportant struggles, yet how we are unable free ourselves from treating our lives with the greatest concern.
Failing to appreciate the irony of her absurd existence, the aspiring teenage cynic then becomes obsessed with damasking the meaningfulness of her own life and the lives of others. This, she believes, will help her reach a more fundamental understanding of something which is somehow more significant and objective than that of her present life. For some people extremely prone to melodrama the condition ends in suicide.
Because the individual believes in the "truth" brought on by stripping away sentimental values culture have taught us to attach to the world, she is often perceived outwardly as cynical. This condition however should not be associated with philosophical cynicism or the kind of cynicism advocated by the likes of (the myth of) Aesop, Oscar Wilde or Dr. Samuel Johnson. The world will often treat the teenage cynic with disdain, confusing her condition with depression or apathy. Trying to solve the problem by offering entertainment of various types, the problem may intensify as the teenage cynic often will be unable to appreciate the entertainment offered, instead deeming it superficial.
2) A condition often seen among adolescent humans. It typically arises when a individual learns to perceive herself in a objective and rational third-person perspective, but due to her inexperience, fails to appreciate the irony of what existentialist philosophers have coined "The Absurd". The absurd human condition; the understanding of how our lives, on a cosmic scale, are futile and unimportant struggles, yet how we are unable free ourselves from treating our lives with the greatest concern.
Failing to appreciate the irony of her absurd existence, the aspiring teenage cynic then becomes obsessed with damasking the meaningfulness of her own life and the lives of others. This, she believes, will help her reach a more fundamental understanding of something which is somehow more significant and objective than that of her present life. For some people extremely prone to melodrama the condition ends in suicide.
Because the individual believes in the "truth" brought on by stripping away sentimental values culture have taught us to attach to the world, she is often perceived outwardly as cynical. This condition however should not be associated with philosophical cynicism or the kind of cynicism advocated by the likes of (the myth of) Aesop, Oscar Wilde or Dr. Samuel Johnson. The world will often treat the teenage cynic with disdain, confusing her condition with depression or apathy. Trying to solve the problem by offering entertainment of various types, the problem may intensify as the teenage cynic often will be unable to appreciate the entertainment offered, instead deeming it superficial.
Statements someone affected by teenage cynicism would typically say:
Teenage cynic 1: To me it's depressing to think about the fact that life is fundamentally without objective meaning and that one day we will all die (and the universe will end).
Teenage cynic 2: Men running around on a field, competing against each other, trying to kick a ball made out of dead skin in opposite directions. Soccer is for retards.
Teenage cynic 1: To me it's depressing to think about the fact that life is fundamentally without objective meaning and that one day we will all die (and the universe will end).
Teenage cynic 2: Men running around on a field, competing against each other, trying to kick a ball made out of dead skin in opposite directions. Soccer is for retards.
by mushytoast February 18, 2009
Get the Teenage cynicism mug.The unwitting or intentional partnership between corporate media and the government that works to saturate and bombard the citizenry with bad news and terror. The goal is to elevate the willful ignorance and acceptance of bad policy, divisive tactics, dehumanization or marginalized members of society and financial regulations that favour the wealthy.
The world is a beautiful place full of good people. If you ignorantly and blissfully consume the "media-government-cynicism-complex" of course you will feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket. You are missing out and wasting opportunity.
by fundybrewer September 28, 2017
Get the media-government-cynicism-complex mug.