cynicism

Cynicism is intellectual dandyism.

The cynic makes fun of all earnestness; he makes fun of everything and everyone who feels that something can be done. . . . But in his heart of hearts he knows that he is a defeated man and that his cynicism is merely an expression of the fact that he has lost courage and is beaten.

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.

The cynic never grows up, but commits intellectual suicide.

The men of the press, who despised their own profession, did not know why they were enjoying it today. One of them, a young man with years of notorious success behind him and a cynical look of twice his age, said suddenly, 'I know what I'd like to be: I wish I could be a man who covers news!'

One of the most devastating experiences in human life is disillusionment. Of course there are some illusions the disillusionment of which is healthy. It takes two things to bowl over a tree - a heavy wind outside and decay inside. Much of the moral wreckage is caused by inner cynicism -a disgust with life's futility, an inability to see sense in it. A person in that mood is an easy mark for the next high wind.

CYNIC, n. A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic's eyes to improve his vision.

Ten Spiritual Tonics 1. Stop worrying. Worry kills life. 2. Begin each day with a prayer. It will arm your soul. 3. Control appetite. Over-indulgence clogs body and mind. 4. Accept your limitations . . . 5. Don't envy. It wastes time and energy. 6. Have faith in people. Cynicism sours the disposition. 7. Find a hobby. It will relax your nerves. 8. Read a book a week to stimulate imagination and broaden your views. 9. Spend some time alone for the peace of solitude and silence. 10. Try to want what you have, instead of spending your strength trying to get what you want.