Avoid Cynicism!

Let’s state it plainly: You are a teenager in an era of mass shootings, terrorism, fake news and environmental catastrophes. These realities have forced you and your peers to grow up faster than those of previous generations. Systemic problems have pushed many in your age group to stand up and speak out. They are ready to disrupt longstanding institutions and shake up the status quo.

Think of the anti-gun protests after the Parkland school shooting in Florida. Think of 16-year-old Greta Thunberg speaking to the United Nations about environmental concerns. Think of high-school activism backing the Black Lives Matter movement.

Seemingly never-ending tragedies and injustices take a weighty toll. Facing the reality of complex, longstanding issues is wearing on many in your generation, who wonder: “Why another school shooting? Why rampant pollution? Why another person killed by police? Why aren’t the adults doing anything about this?”

There is an underlying theme that threads through all of this: cynicism. This manifests itself in distrust of others, especially those in authority, and many teenagers today want to take matters into their own hands. In their minds, they want to do what those in power seemingly cannot do, or do not have the will to do.

Of course, every generation has had to weather tough times, but there is a difference with yours. For you, it is difficult to tune out. The internet and social media pipes the news straight to every device. At school, these topics are discussed constantly. There really is nowhere to hide.

While you know God’s Way and how you should react to these situations, it does not mean the constant bad news does not wear on you. Having to continually question whether you can believe what you are seeing or reading—#FakeNews—is not easy. This all can breed an unconscious distrust of government, major institutions and people in power.

Again, this attitude has a name: cynicism. It goes utterly against God’s Way. While it is easy to slip into this mindset, it can be difficult to clearly define—and the negative impacts can be easy to miss.

Many feel there are good elements to cynicism. In books and movies, cynical characters are often painted as the smartest and brightest. The detective Sherlock Holmes is one example and Tony Stark from the Iron Man comics is another. Yet is this true? Is cynicism healthy and a sign of genius?

Researchers from Tilburg University in the Netherlands and the University of Cologne in Germany addressed this in a study titled “The Cynical Genius Illusion: Exploring and Debunking Lay Beliefs About Cynicism and Competence.”

According to the study, people tend to believe that cynical individuals have “cognitive superiority”—that they are really, really smart. Despite this, three separate studies of about 200,000 individuals from 30 countries found that cynical individuals “generally do worse on cognitive ability and academic competency tasks.”

Put simply, cynicism does not make you a genius!

The Tilburg University study also revealed that young people are more susceptible to cynical attitudes: “An increasing number of people seem to endorse a cynical view of human nature. Secondary analyses of large-scale surveys showed young adults to be less trusting of each other and more cynical about institutions than ever before.” It also stated that “even web searches including the word ‘cynicism’ have more than doubled relative to the overall number of searches since 2004.”

This leaves us to ask: Why has cynicism become such a common character trait today, especially among younger people? What can you do to combat it?

What Is It?

Dr. Lisa Firestone, a clinical psychologist, researcher and author defined cynicism in a Psychology Today article. As you read, note the negative aspects of this attitude: “Cynicism is part of a defensive posture we take to protect ourselves. It’s typically triggered when we feel hurt by or angry at something, and instead of dealing with those emotions directly, we allow them to fester and skew our outlook. When we grow cynical toward one thing in our lives, we may slowly start to turn on everything…”

“When we get cynical, we are often indulging in self-righteous attitudes and forming expectations that people should behave a certain way…Through this shadowy perspective, we start to seek out and focus on the worst in people. When we enter this state of mind, we are often viewing those around us through the same critical filter through which we see ourselves.”

A skewed outlook. Self-righteousness. Distrust of everything. Seeing the worst in everyone. These are all hallmarks of a cynical attitude—and they all are ungodly.

Note the similarities of cynical traits to those describing society today in II Timothy: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (3:1-5).

We are to avoid people with these traits. Even more, we should avoid exhibiting even a hint of them ourselves!

Let’s look into a few of these traits to better define cynicism…

• Lovers of their own selves: An incorrect focus on self and individual interests skews people’s thinking. They see the world revolving around them and will think negatively against anyone who does not align with their point of view.
• Proud: Cynicism is born from pride. “I know the right way to do everything, and others do not,” such a person thinks. “Highminded” is similar.
• Disobedient to parents: Distrust of those in authority is a hallmark of cynicism, and it begins with how we treat our fathers and mothers. This often exhibits itself in thoughts such as, My parents just don’t understand what it is like to be a teenager today. And, I completely disagree with that decision. That’s not the way I would have done it.
• Trucebreakers: In the original Greek, this word means someone who is disagreeable and even hostile. You simply cannot convince him or her to trust another person.

After finishing this article, go read II Timothy 3:1-5 as a Bible study. Look up the original Greek definitions in an online Bible application. As you dig into these terms, notice how the majority stem from a negative, cynical attitude.

Back to Dr. Firestone’s definition. She mentioned cynicism is a “defensive posture.” If you always assume the worst in others, you can think you never have to worry about being disappointed. This attitude can seem to protect you in the short term—but can cause a lifetime of loneliness, negativity and general unhappiness.

Reason for Increased Cynicism

A main cause of cynicism is anxiety. As the problems facing mankind pile up into an unsolvable mess, pessimism and distrust increases—driven by fear and uncertainty.

That said, another element that causes us to negatively view others is that many do not fully understand the difference between healthy skepticism and cynicism.

What is the difference between these traits? Cynicism is a negative belief that people always act in a selfish manner and should never be trusted. Skepticism involves not yet being ready to accept what you are hearing or seeing.

In summary, cynicism involves automatic distrust—and skepticism is that you want to trust someone, but you must get all the facts first. Note that this is healthy skepticism—a skeptical person can be just as negative and distrusting as one who is cynical.

We can often be skeptical about new advice or instruction unless we see the “proof.” Once we have proven that the information is indeed true or the best for our circumstances, then we become convinced and accept the advice or instruction. Over time, we can learn to trust certain people deeply.

God wants us to have healthy skepticism about His truth. The Bible states: “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good” (I Thes. 5:21). He wants us to prove His doctrines. Once we do, we can fully trust in Him.

This form of skepticism has nothing to do with “judging” another person’s overall character, rather it requires we judge others’ statements or claims. Cynicism distrusts the person—not what is being said—because it is assumed the person will always do wrong. No matter how good or helpful someone’s advice may be, it will be automatically rejected because of a preconceived idea about the person giving the statement.

To illustrate the different outcomes that can be achieved from being a skeptic and a cynic, let’s turn to a familiar account in Acts 17. The apostle Paul preached the gospel and the knowledge of Jesus Christ to those in the Greek city of Berea. Notice the attitude of the Bereans and the end result: “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). In short, the Bereans proved from Scripture—the Old Testament—whether the account Paul preached was true.

What was the result? Verse 12 says, “Therefore, many of them believed.”

In this Bible account, baptisms followed because the Bereans had a correct skeptical attitude and proved Paul’s message. They applied I Thessalonians 5:21, and it resulted in “many” being converted! This is a great example of what can be achieved when approaching situations without preconceived ideas.

Now, let’s look at another example where Paul preached the same gospel message, yet the result was the exact opposite. When Paul taught in the Temple in Jerusalem, the following happened: “When [the Jews] saw him in the temple, [they] stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help: this is the man, that teaches all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place” (Acts 21:27-28).

It is obvious by reading this account that some of the Jews were not interested in Paul’s message. Notice the verse states that when they saw Paul they immediately started hurling false accusations at him. They were so filled with anger that “they went about to kill him” (vs. 31). This is an extreme example of cynicism because they distrusted Paul outright and refused to listen. These Jews made a terrible knee-jerk decision and decided to kill Paul.

Can you see the different outcomes from these two accounts? The cynical attitude resulted in an attempted murder and the correctly skeptical attitude resulted in conversions—remarkable!

Identify It Early

The consequences of falling into cynicism can be awful. Everyone—young and old—battles this dangerous character flaw. The world is so brim-full of cynics that it is something everyone must watch for as these negative traits can unknowingly seep into our personalities. Once fully established, this attitude is difficult to unwind.

One way to help you root out cynicism is to identify it early before it becomes part of who you are. To do this, carefully contemplate your social interactions with people around you.

These questions can help: Do you find it difficult to receive instruction or guidance from certain people? If so, why? Sincerely look at the motives behind why you feel reluctant. Is it because they are much older, possibly even older than your parents? Is it because of their gender? Or is it maybe because the person’s dress is unfashionable?

If you can identify anything of the person’s appearance, language, age, sex, dress, and so forth, that prevents you from listening to them with an open mind (like the Bereans!), then you may already have some cynical thinking.

Granted, you must prove the advice is sound—but the source of it should generally not skew your opinion. (There are limits to this, of course. Obviously, you would not seek advice from a convicted serial killer!)

Cynicism breeds more cynicism. Seek help from your parents or minister if you have emotional scars from previous encounters that cause you to distrust others. Maybe a friend has repeatedly broken promises or an acquaintance went behind your back and made you look bad. Maybe you learn a teacher you really admire was cheating on his wife. Such situations can pile up and cause you to always have your defenses up and think the worst of others.

Bitterness is the end result of cynicism, which can erode any good character you have built up. This leads to you being consumed with resentment and unforgiving feelings because you may have suffered hurt. You must be able to move past feeling bitter about circumstances or people. Hebrews 12:15 warns: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”

Understand that cynicism is something all living God’s Way face. This character trait is deeply imbedded in human nature, which makes seeking God’s help through this process essential.

Overcoming Cynicism

Overcoming any type of wrong character trait, such as having a foul mouth, lying, selfishness or being unforgiving, begins with identifying the problem. God is there to help! In your prayers, remember to ask God to assist you to show you traits of cynicism in your personality. Once you can identify them, then you can apply some of the steps below to help you overcome:

• When encountering situations where you have to make decisions on information or instruction received, ask yourself: Will I apply healthy skepticism or, bitter cynicism?
• Never stereotype others. For example, imagine a police officer issues a person a ticket for speeding even though the driver felt that he was going the speed limit. On top of this, the person recently read a number of articles about police corruption. Taking these two encounters, he now distrusts all law-enforcement officers. Of course, this thinking is flawed! We must avoid stereotyping people, whether they are government officials, teachers, friends, parents, senior citizens, or any authority figure.
• Focus on the opposite of being cynical toward others. There are many benefits to having an open, positive attitude, and being friendly is magnetic. People are naturally attracted to such personalities and it will help you develop close friendships.
• Make sure you prove things correctly with healthy skepticism—not cynicism! Having an open mind to instructions, you will find that people will share things with you more. They will find you trustworthy and it will lead to closer relationships.
• Be ready to handle cynicism and critical comments. As soon as you see a conversation is becoming cynical, politely excuse yourself.

An Example to Follow

Jesus Christ worked often with strangers and sinners (Matt. 9:13). He was unafraid to be associated with people full of faults and mistakes. Christ was patient with such people because of the deep love He has for His fellow man. While He showed care toward these individuals—He did not tolerate or condone their wrong actions. Yet how He interacted with them is a powerful example for us.

Christians must “follow His steps” (I Pet. 2:21), which we can do by studying the gospels. He walked among many thousands of people while interacting with them constantly. His calm and caring personality attracted thousands. It was in stark contrast to that of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees. There is so much we can learn from Christ by reading the example He had set for us in the New Testament. Whenever you read the accounts of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, notice the myriad examples of His outflowing care and concern for others.

The Father’s example also comes into play here. He will one day judge all of mankind. How He does this is a powerful indicator of how uncynical God is. Notice I Peter 1:17: “…call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work.” This clearly shows that God will judge our “work”—not according to how we look or where we came from. No matter our wealth, race, gender, or physical appearance, He judges fairly.

God will judge all on how they worked to build His character, which is of love, forgiveness and a deep desire for “all men to be saved” (I Tim. 2:4).

Worldwide Change Is Coming!

Knowing God’s truth in this final era of the Church certainly comes with many challenges. And dealing with cynicism will be a constant battle all the way to Christ’s Return. Understanding and overcoming this negative attitude can lead to a life with many blessings. It will help you make more friends and build close, deeply trusting relationships.

We can look forward to a time in the very near future when the whole world will have access to the truths of God while at peace with each other. Here is just one of many Old Testament prophecies that illustrate that time: “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it” (Mic. 4:4).

Read this scripture again and realize that the sources of cynicism and anxiety will be practically eliminated in God’s Kingdom! Think of it: If no one is “afraid,” then it must be that anxiety and fear are removed. Truly, this sets a picture of peace unlike this world has ever seen.

Let’s diligently remove cynicism from our lives now—knowing that it will soon be erased from the globe!