How to be cynical We live in an age where cynicism is thought to be sophisticated. In order to be truly cynical, you have to be totally convinced that the world, the people in it, and even yourself, are only out for themselves and can never be trusted. Cynicism in its purest form totally rules out the possibility of hope, solutions and winning in life. David Letterman without the humor. Instead: In no way am I suggesting that we should all approach the world like naive, young children. Any negative taken to the opposite extreme is still a negative. Instead, keeping a healthy skepticism protects you and leaves you open for the possibility of hope, How to be comparative Anyone who has ever been comared to a sibling, teammate or co-worker knows just how fun it is to be round this kind of person. "If only you were more like ..." Since this worked so well in childhood, why not use it as an adult. Other good comparative things to say are: "This time is not as fun as last time" "The way you do it here is not nearly as good as we did back there." Remember to say these and all comparative statements with an air of superiority, nose slightly turned up. Instead: Start with what is working and/or is good about the situation, and then ask the powerful and rarely asked question: "How could we make this even better?" |
