Who is a cynic. The meaning of the word cynicism in a large modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language

from the Greek - the teaching of the cynics (cynics)): the position of demonstrative and total negativism in relation to generally accepted sociocultural norms and values. The origin of the concept of "cynicism" is associated with the activities of the ancient Greek cynic philosophers, known for their negative attitude towards the achievements of civilization and culture. C., as a form of world relations, has a purely destructive orientation.

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CYNICISM

originally: from the teachings of the ancient "cynics") - the position of nihilism (denial, rejection) of cultural assets, any establishments, rules, principles, especially common in a given society, social and moral attitudes, official norms. In its extreme manifestations, cynicism can acquire quite shocking (provocative), even hooligan forms: insults, vandalism, mockery, ridicule, protests through openly mocking behavior, desecration of symbols and shrines, etc. Cynicism does not arise from scratch and has a number of sources. In social terms, it can act even at the state level and manifest itself, first of all, in the disrespectful attitude of the authorities towards their people, in non-observance of the rights and dignity of citizens, in the economic policy of "keeping in a black body"; can be carried out as "cynicism of force" - the exercise of power by frankly immoral means: fascism, totalitarianism, terrorism and other forms of tyranny. It can also manifest itself as a response of people in unfavorable social and political realities: disrespect for authority, ignoring the law, rebellious moods, destructive tendencies, ochlocracy, etc. - people take the fundamental positions of anti-culture, seeing no other way out. From a domestic, moral point of view, cynicism is a manifestation of a low moral culture, a primitive level of spiritual development, which takes the form of disrespect for other people, especially those who are different or who are on a lower rung of the social ladder. Cynicism in this case is the result of intolerance, selfishness and other negative qualities of the person himself.

Cynic- this is a person who openly disregards public moral standards in his own behavior. The meaning of the word cynic comes from the Latin "cynicus", meaning "cynic". Cynics represented a philosophical direction, according to which they sought to free themselves from external conventions, the virtue was the disregard for conventions, which meant detachment from the state, society, family, and religious principles. Illiteracy and bad manners were understood as a blessing.

Cynicism is expressed in a consciously demonstrative disregard for ethical values, expresses inner rebelliousness. Such a pronounced rebellion can be provoked by a rebellious position or vital disappointment in the functioning of social mechanisms. It often manifests itself when there is nothing to lose, from despair or he feels impunity.

What does cynic mean? The meaning of the word cynic is more often associated with tactlessness, permissiveness, rudeness, or even vandalism. Observing such external manifestations, it seems as if sympathy, modesty, kindness, pity are not characteristic of cynical personalities. However, often it is sensitivity that they try to disguise as cynicism, considering it a weakness.

Who is a cynic

Cynicism is a personal quality, respectively, a cynic is a person who is inherent in cynicism. A real cynic can only truly be called an adult, psychologically formed person who has already experienced a lot, so his principles are special.

What does a cynic mean or who is a cynic in simple words? This is a person who denies everyone, in his opinion - everything is bought, there is nothing that can truly be appreciated, everything that is lost can be returned back or replaced with something.

A cynic is a person who communicates with people only for the sake of calculation, because he is disappointed in them. This person denies everything high and beautiful, for him there is no spiritual love, only physical. Such a person uses empathy to appear successful and confident between unlucky people.

A cynic is accustomed to mocking a valuable and significant thing for others, he can easily speak out in a rude way. He does not recognize authorities, he is always hostile to the opinions of others, considers his opinion to be exclusively correct, and therefore trusts himself. He is ironic in communication, but he seems to be an interesting person.

In modern society, cynicism is becoming fashionable. People become not who they are, after which they suffer from. A person with a cynical character gives the impression of an advanced, fashionable, smart. He is often in the center of attention, often due to his statements. A cynical person claims that he is hardened and perceives the world impartially.

The behavior of cynics causes mixed feelings in many. Some - opposed to them, do not take cynical personalities for adequate citizens. Others like it when there is moderate cynicism in the character, because they consider it a sign.

A cynical person easily distinguishes where he is told the truth, and where they are trying to deceive. Through loud words he can hear the truth. Some tend to be cynical, because they believe that this will give them a special charm, help them win against the background of not very smart individuals who will admire them.

A real cynic devalues ​​everything that is important for others, what others live by, what they believe in, does it very tactlessly. A cynical person does not expect anything good. Perhaps it happened, because his life is full of disappointments, broken hopes, pain, and a bitter residue does not allow him to sincerely enjoy life and trust others.

A cynical worldview can be a sign of a person's unconscious struggle with internal contradictions. The more cynical a person wants to show himself, plunging into despondency, the stronger his hope for the future. These hopes can be hidden very, very deeply, that sometimes people themselves do not know about them. Thus, it turns out that the manifestation of cynicism is a sign of personal weakness.

A person cannot be born a cynic, he becomes so from the influence of various life events. Some can become so very quickly, others gradually approach this, the rest do not become so at all. It depends on the way of perception of life's failures, difficulties. Some have a high resistance to stress, so their faith in a happier future does not fade away, while others, with the smallest failures, give in and begin to despise what they are disappointed in. Every person has a moderate degree of cynicism. After all, everyone has experienced and endured disappointment. If he found the strength not to get bogged down in negativity and move forward, you can praise him for that.

How to become a cynic

Children are born without cynicism, and when they first encounter a serious problem for them, then they begin to do things that are not characteristic of them - they begin to fence themselves off and try to demonstrate that nothing bothers them. A small child hides his heartache with outward indifference, having become accustomed to such a reaction, he becomes a cynic.

Cynicism is more characteristic of adolescence, when it is a reaction to the transformation of personality. With the help of cynicism, many teenagers try to "defend themselves" from the world, because they consider it hostile and unpleasant. However, over time, cynicism, as an age-related reaction in some teenagers, disappears, while others remain cynics forever.

When a cynical person says that there is no point in loving, that relationships cannot last, and people are faithful all their lives, he says that he himself experienced disappointment in relationships. Obviously, he did not manage to calmly endure the loss.

When a person devalues ​​the successes of others, he thereby reports that he himself tried to achieve success, but he did not succeed, now he is envious and hurt when others rejoice in success. This is selfish, because he does not think that those people also made efforts to achieve what they wanted, he does not know how to be sincerely happy for them. A person is angry at himself for failure, but he is afraid to try again, so he behaves aggressively and cynically, which is not always clear to others.

Some individuals become cynics unintentionally, by virtue of their profession. Often they are representatives of professions who work with a stream of people, respectively, with a considerable amount of emotions. For example, leaders often become cynics. They have to be responsible for many people, if they were in the position of every employee, the organization would start working at a loss or soon collapsed.

This category also includes professionals who have to communicate with many clients, this includes lawyers, various consultants. Worrying about all the customers would not be enough strength. One consultant, but a lot of clients. An avalanche of emotions inclines these people to cynicism.

If the doctor was worried about each patient, thought about what kind of person he is, whether he has a family, showed sympathy, took over the share of the patient’s fear and pain, nothing would be left of him in a day.

A cynical attitude to other people's problems, pain, feelings not only develops as a result of professional deformation of the personality. If the individual is unable to endure the grief he has encountered, or if he lacks mental resources, he becomes a cynic. Often people are frightened by the very strong feelings that they have to face. Not understanding how to cope with them, a person panics, after which he decides to “plug” the outlet for feelings, so he gets used to coping with all problems and becomes a cynic for whom feelings do not matter.

Some people deliberately think about how to become a cynic in order to save themselves from remorse, guilt, or strong negative experiences.

Some people are interested in learning how to become a cynic because they think it's fashionable to be.

Whatever the reasons for the interest, how to become a cynic, you can become one by following certain tips.

You need to be yourself, as you are, directly. You need to behave as you want, regardless of the opinions of others. Do not respond to comments and criticism, take everything as an empty phrase, because you are confident in your superiority. You can never adapt to anyone, you should put your needs above the needs of other people, and also suppress in yourself such qualities as goodwill, compassion, responsiveness.

Always be direct, do not select expressions. Use the weaknesses of others for selfish purposes by pressing on sore spots. Live without denying yourself anything, and think about your own pleasure.

The cynic is hard to attribute to, or an optimist, he is neutral, therefore he acts according to his mood. The cynic is an undesirable member of society, so you should consider whether it is worth becoming one.

Hello dear readers. In this article, you will find out who a cynic is in simple words. You will know what types this concept includes. Find out what factors can influence the development of cynicism. Let's talk about the characteristic manifestations of this condition. Check out examples of fictional characters who are cynical.

General information and classification

The word cynic comes from "synicus", which means "cynic" in Latin. Not surprisingly, the word cynic is seen as synonymous with cynic. This also includes shameless, shameful, insolent. There was a direction in philosophy, which was represented by cynics - people who want to get rid of conventions, move away from the family, society, state. Illiteracy, ill-mannered behavior were seen as a good deed.

Cynicism is a conscious disregard for ethics and moral values. It expresses inner disobedience. Cynicism can arise when a person feels impunity, he has nothing more to lose.

A cynic is a person who opposes the norms of morality accepted in society. It is often associated with irony, tactlessness, a sense of permissiveness and rude behavior. Looking at a cynical person, one gets the impression that such concepts as kindness, sympathy, pity and modesty are unusual for him. But it is worth considering the fact that some individuals hide their hypersensitivity under cynicism, because they consider it their weakness.

A real cynic can only be an adult who has already developed principles, life experience and the ability to make an informed choice.

If the cynicism is moderate, then it is considered as a manifestation of intelligence. You may get the impression that the cynic is self-confident, will never allow himself to be deceived. Cynical men are interested in girls, because they know how to joke ironically, such personalities are interesting interlocutors. But with prolonged communication, it becomes clear that a young man devalues ​​those things that are significant for others, that he is not capable of deep feelings. Love and normal communication with a cynic is possible in a person who has a cynical character. But it is better for vulnerable people not to start a relationship with a cynical person. Unless cynicism is a mask that allows you to hide your sensitivity.

Cynicism can manifest itself differently in different people. There are such types.

1. Healthy cynic. Such a person will not participate in the lottery, will be indifferent to letters of a clearly fraudulent nature. From one point of view, these are good traits, such a person is reasonable, and from the other, an indifferent attitude.
2. Evil pest. Any cynic who is unable to stop in time is sure to fall into a similar state. He will be indifferent to the failure of others, will ignore the losers. These cynics are absolutely unhappy people.
3. Anti lyric. Such a person cannot stand kisses at a meeting, giving flowers, valentines. But this does not mean that he is completely devoid of feelings, in fact, this individual believes that such actions are not a manifestation of true romance. Such a person is a maximalist, he cannot stand deceit and often goes to extremes. The cynicism of this person is a way of resisting obsessive opinion and banality. There is a risk that the anti lyricist will begin to withdraw into himself or begin to do evil towards other people. When you want a lot, while getting little, you get angry at people.
4. Black comedian. Despite the fact that this type is the most harmless, he can offend a sensitive person very much. Despite the "black" jokes, such a cynic has a sense of compassion. They see black humor as just jokes. He can separate reality and the fictional world. The negative points of this type are that people can perceive such a person as evil. The individual must feel the boundaries of what is permitted, and not be annoying, imposing his jokes on other people. If black humor is not appreciated in a certain circle, there is no need to continue to joke in this way or be upset that people do not accept such jokes.
5. Materialist without imagination. Such a cynic has a strong mind that crowds out his feelings. At times it works for him. This individual will not suffer from unrequited love. If he realizes that someone does not feel sympathy for him, he will simply turn his attention to other people. If there is any problem, he will not suffer, he will simply change the situation. In fact, such a person is deprived of many things in life. For example, being on screenings in a cinema, a person will not evaluate the picture in general, he will observe how well the actors play. Such individuals do not believe in selflessness, they are incapable of empathy. There is a risk that only business relationships will remain in life.

There is another type of classification.

1. Legal. Cynicism is directed at laws, legal norms, unwillingness to live in accordance with them.
2. Public. This cynicism is observed in a group of people who want to have a happy society, from individuals who are comfortable coexisting. This does not take into account the moral norms that are characteristic of this society.
3. social cynicism. It appears in the middle of a single community of people.
4. Economic. Characterized by dissatisfaction with the system of the economy that exists in the country, the functioning of economic laws at the time of development of society.

Reasons for the development of cynicism

1. When a child encounters some kind of injustice in childhood, he begins to hide his inner pain and hide under external indifference. If at the moment the parents do not help to cope with the sensations, do not explain how to survive it, then over time he will get used to such a reaction and turn into a cynic.
2. Cynicism is characteristic of a teenager when puberty begins. Through the fault of hormonal changes, he tries to isolate himself from the world, to protect himself.
3. As they grow older, cynicism disappears, however, in some people it persists for life.
4. When a boy or girl encounters unrequited love, they will begin to convince others that real feelings do not exist. A woman who has survived the betrayal of her beloved, his betrayal, will begin to assure others that men cannot be faithful to their partner all their lives. And all because of the fact that this individual cannot cope with his loss.
5. Cynicism is present in people of certain professions. They need it to be successful. Cynicism helps in the career of lawyers, doctors, consultants. For example, consider doctors. If they had to feel all the suffering and pain of their patients, they would very quickly become exhausted emotionally and would not be able to work professionally.
6. People use cynicism to hide from guilt and remorse, or from other negative experiences.

So it turns out that the following factors can be the causes of cynicism:

• improper parenting, a personal example of cynicism that is adopted by a child in adulthood;
• constant violation of the rights of the individual, leading to the realization that laws are only of a legal nature;
• unfair treatment of rights and personal freedom provokes the cynicism necessary for protection;

Individuals who were previously altruists, trusting other people, were romantics, can turn into true cynics under the influence of hard life blows, in particular, betrayal and deep disappointment.

Characteristic

1. Such a person does not think about shame, she is sure that she can buy everything, that there are no things that need to be treasured.
2. A cynical person communicates with other people only when it is beneficial for her.
3. Such a person will reject everything sublime, he does not believe in love.
4. May resort to sympathy only to indicate his superiority.
5. Such an individual may laugh at what is important or dear to another person.
6. He can be rude to people.
7. For such an individual there are no authorities, he can aggressively perceive the opinions of other people, and consider his own to be correct in any situation.

The typical state of such a person is characterized by:

• anxious thoughts;
• inner emptiness;
• complete confusion;
• the realization that there is injustice in the world, but there is not enough courage to show the ability of a leader and demonstrate their best sides.

Examples

1. Ostap Bender is a character who wants to get the maximum benefit in everything. He believed that people liked a lot of cynicism.
2. Yevgeny Bazarov is a character in Turgenev's work. It was dominated by vanity and nihilism. Behind the cynicism of this hero was a fear of loneliness.
3. Carlson is a cartoon character who was a true representative of selfishness.
4. Dr. House is the main character from the series of the same name. He practically did not notice people, in his patients he saw only their diseases, he happily solved riddles in order to determine the correct diagnosis.

Now you know what the word cynic means. Today cynicism is in vogue. An individual may not be able to achieve the image that he has come up with for himself or, for example, having received a specialty that he does not like, he will encounter. In the eyes of some people, a cynic looks like an unusual and intelligent person.

In the conditions of modern reality, people try to protect themselves from the outside world with all sorts of barriers. One of the common barriers can be considered cynicism. Today we call cynics people who deny moral and ethical norms, deny authorities, refuse to believe in the purity of the motives of other people's behavior. A cynic is a person who is disillusioned, withdrawn and unsatisfied.

Who are the cynics

In the system of evaluation "optimist - realist - pessimist" cynics are usually attributed to the group of realists. It is believed that cynics, due to their natural nihilism, do not give a positive or negative assessment of the events taking place, taking them for granted. These are disappointed people, and, as a result, they are rather tough and prudent.

The positive quality of cynics is expressed in their calmness: they do not get upset over trifles and do not arrange extravaganzas from an insignificant incident. However, this feature can be called positive only to a relative extent: a cynic can consider everything that does not concern him as a “trifle”, for example, disasters, the death of people and children. Cynics treat everything as material: everything lost can be restored, because there are no irreplaceable people and things.

Such an attitude to events is inherent only to a mature person capable of non-judgmental perception. Cynics have an unconditionally formed worldview and clear ideas about the world around them. The value system of such people differs from the classical one: they believe that everything has a price, and spiritual and moral foundations are completely far-fetched relics of antiquity.

It would seem that a cynic is a man of the new time, capable of cold calculation, and therefore not subject to mental anguish, sometimes interfering with productive activity. However, being a cynic is not easy. Not afraid to seem incorrect and not feeling guilt or pity, a cynic allows himself frank statements about other people, often not the most flattering. Most reactions are predictable: rejection and, as a result, loneliness. The cynic becomes an outsider, an outcast. Such cases are repeatedly described in psychology, and such "outcasts" are called in the literature "intolerable cynics" (the term of Princeton University professor Charles Issawi).

Why do people become cynics

Personality begins to take shape from birth: first at the unconscious level, then at the level of conscious perception. Without a well-formed psyche and mechanisms to resist influence, children and adolescents are very susceptible to insults, punishments and humiliations, to the indifference of loved ones. When faced with difficulties, a child who does not know the techniques of protection and problem solving begins to close himself off from them and from people, trying to appear independent and indifferent.

As a result, by adolescence, some children suppress humanistic manifestations in themselves: they lose their inclination to sympathy and compassion, sentimentality, and sincere love. They consider these feelings to be a sign of weakness and a factor hindering personal development. Rejecting humanistic feelings, cynics also deny religion. However, psychologists note that they tend to identify themselves with Jesus, whom they consider the same cynic.

Even the person who does not know the exact definition of cynicism will easily recognize a cynic if he encounters him: caustic, sharp, smirking, sarcastic. A robot, an insensitive beast, a strong personality, an unfortunate and offended person - as soon as they don’t call cynics. Some want to become like that, while others dream of avoiding it in their lives. Why such a different attitude?

The modern concept of cynicism was preceded by the ideology of cynicism. What did it suggest? Cynics opposed themselves to society, and denied generally accepted ones. They emphasized that any person, including biological (animals), is natural, correct and allowed. Of course, complete freedom often looked asocial and looked more like arbitrariness. Cynicism was a counterculture, its representatives themselves called themselves outcasts.

Modern cynicism is not so active and pronounced. It is more often limited to thinking, mental opposition of the individual to society, rather than active actions.

What is cynicism

Cynicism is a worldview that denies higher feelings, such as love. On this example, we will analyze the views of a cynic. He thinks there is no love. This is nothing more than a set of chemical reactions and imposed by those who benefit from it, for example, manufacturers of gifts for lovers. He believes that it cannot exist, there are only various illusions invented and supported by people for any purpose.

The negative and denial of the cynic is directed at love, feelings and emotions close to it, all universal values ​​(compassion, pity, sympathy, mercy). He treats such things with disdain, contempt, sarcasm.

When we try to assume other people, we are actually talking about our intentions, about how we would act. So the cynic is convinced of the commercialism of others, because he himself evaluates everything in life from the point of view of usefulness for him.

In the thinking of a cynic, criticality also predominates. He is pessimistic and negative about any changes, accepts with a dry mind and immediately evaluates for benefits. The cynic constantly analyzes himself and his actions, the actions of other people. To a compliment, a question about how he is doing, or a declaration of love, he will immediately answer: “What do you need? Speak at once." For a cynic, there is no concept of "just like that."

What does psychology say

The image of a cynic is perfect for works of art and films, one can talk endlessly about the topic of cynicism and its opposite (romanticism). What does psychology think about this?

The problem of love is one of the most difficult topics. In short, the concept of “unconditional love” has been singled out in science, which involves the acceptance by the mother of her child as he is. If we talk about love between a man and a woman, then on the one hand, such acceptance should also be, but on the other hand, the author of the theory of love Erich Fromm gave her the following definition: "This is an active interest in life and the object of love." It is also known that healthy relationships involve mutually beneficial cooperation between two mature personalities.

And yes, it can’t do without chemistry, but it causes passion, falling in love, not love. Love is the result of complex and long work of two people. It is a complex of feelings and emotions, shared experience, support and help.

Thus, love is indeed always endowed with purpose and benefits, or rather love itself (strong relationships) is the purpose. Every person has a need for love and a need to be significant. Both of them are satisfied in a relationship. In fact, all relationships (not just love ones) involve the mutual exchange of experience, knowledge, skills, elements, etc.

As for third-party participants in relationships (“baiters” on the topic of love), this is a matter of consumption. By the way, it can be solved in a couple without any problems - not to let them cash in on your feelings, to realize the dubiousness of flowers, teddy bears and resorts for a couple, which are three times more expensive than usual. You can and should demonstrate your love by doing things that do not require costs: hug, listen, support, talk, etc. When it comes to shopping, then there is no point in chasing signs “for couples”, “for families”, “for a beloved ”,“ for the beloved ”and others.

Causes of cynicism

Cynicism is necessary in some professions. So, for example, cynicism protects a doctor from nervous breakdowns, and allows him to do his job with high quality. Rescuers, firefighters, psychologists, sappers, police officers must work with cold calculation, controlling any feelings and emotions.

Why are doctors, judges, policemen not allowed to deal with their loved ones? The risk is too high. Too many emotions and subjective attitude. We need someone else who can rationally, cynically and objectively approach the issue.

Therefore, people in such professions either become cynical in the course of work, or enter the profession already so. This is their protective mechanism, which determines the preservation of personal health and work efficiency. But this is not the only reason for cynicism. Where do those “already such” come from?

Cynicism is a product of the spiritual and moral development of a person. Under what conditions does a person begin to doubt kindness, unconditional love and selflessness:

• heartache, disappointment, negative personal experience, which included a defense mechanism - cynicism;
• rude and authoritarian parents, incapable of love and high feelings;
• experiencing an intrapersonal and existential crisis, the loss of ideals, the collapse of illusions and hopes, a sense of the injustice of the world;
• feeling of threat and insecurity, loss of support in life;
• feeling of impunity, conviction in one's own superiority;
• the desire to express individuality, to oppose and.

Thus, people become cynics after negative experiences in family or love relationships, or when other people are subordinate to them. Frustration and a God complex are the main causes of cynicism.

Cynicism as a consequence is more common. Negation is one of the . And cynicism is essentially denial.

How to fight

From the material of the third paragraph of this article, one might think that science is precisely what makes people cynics. May be. Approximately the same for a person, the feeling of magic and magic from tricks or phenomena of the surrounding world disappears if he understands the laws of physics and chemistry.

The problem is that you need to surround yourself with the right people to avoid misunderstandings and resentment. Cynicism becomes a problem when it completely deprives a person of family, relationships, friends. And since a person is a social being, his development is also impossible without contacts.

If you definitely decided to fight cynicism, then you should start by developing humanity in yourself. What does this imply:

• sympathy;
• compassion;
• prioritization over spiritual values.

Cynicism comes into contact with egoism and realism. The cynic is driven by the idea of ​​satisfying his own needs and interests, material and personal desires. He expects the same from others. If you want to get rid of cynicism, develop romanticism and eliminate selfishness. Start selflessly doing something for others, develop, learn empathy.

Think about the last time you enjoyed life and saw something beautiful. It was necessary, because cynicism is an acquired feeling. Cynics are those who are disillusioned with life and want to hide from the world. Go back to that moment and try to recreate it in the present.

Perhaps the entire modern society can be called cynical. But there are also positive examples that confirm the existence of spiritual values. Pay attention to positive examples, such as how people all over the world raised funds for someone's treatment or how a doctor performed a free operation. There are many such examples, you just have to want to see them. But be careful not to fall into romanticism and building castles in the air.

The war of good and evil will never cease to exist, as will the precarious position of every person between them.