These are days when we can’t help be cynics. Or, at the very least, feel unsure about the motivations of our leaders -– political and business.
It is really important to distinguish between two related words – two different states of thought.
I’m talking about cynicism and skepticism. Let’s deal first with the second of these terms.
To be a skeptic is to question facts or assertions. Or at least to put ideas into a mental holding cage for assessment and judgment. We do this when we encounter claims that seem to us unlikely. “The queen is really an alien lizard from the planet Zog.” Yeah. OK. I’ll get back to you on that.
I exaggerate, but you get my point. Every day we deal with propositions and weigh them against our considered opinion and experience. Healthy skepticism is a good thing, and it protects us against irrational acts. Like buying timeshares in Florida.
Not so cynicism, which I view as an emotional illness – an especially corrosive and dangerous one. In fact, I view this state of mind as an illness every bit as real as other mood disorders, though its causes are unlikely to be organic. Cynicism undermines three essential qualities of our emotions: hope, trust, and faith.
Hope floats everything. It is the innocent quality of the child within us that makes all dreams and ambition possible. “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” That’s Dante. Virgil. Styx – the river that once crossed means all hope is abandoned.
To be a cynic is to betray trust, both in others and more profoundly in ourselves.
Trust is a complex structure. It involves an objective decision dissolved in an emotional solution. We trust both on the basis of what we experience and what we believe to be true. Trust is tricky because it is often in flux. We are constantly weighing balances.
At this point, between hope and trust, we find ourselves on a high wire. We do everything to keep our balance, because failure to do so means descent into a loss of faith. When that happens, we fall into cynicism’s darkest place: nihilism.
This is the place where our humanity loses meaning and where individuality ceases.
You may take these ideas in your own measure. Decide which are relevant or true. However you do, allow me to make a suggestion, based on my experience.
With your morning tea, imagine the hours ahead. The day will be full of chores. But imagine one hope for the day. Maybe, that you’ll feel a little happier than yesterday. Maybe you’ll do something to make yourself feel truly brave and alive. A reluctant swim in cold water does it for me.
Then, say to yourself that no matter how uncomfortable, you’ll do it again. Trust yourself. And when you do go for that swim again and again, glow in that trust. Don’t forget to pamper yourself with treats.
Finally, be receptive to faith in yourself. It comes on silent cat feet, most often once you’ve stopped thinking, in bed. It’ll purr quietly and say: “OK.” Listen.
I’ll end with a suggestion.
When we hope, trust, and have faith we together create a universe that is good. Where cynicism and doubt become artifacts of our learning experience. Mere pebbles on the path to mental well being.
