by Zach
Shelley
It has
recently been communicated to me that I, in some circumstances, act like a
cynic. I have also been called
pessimistic. Although I initially
thought that this was just so those other people could feel better about
themselves, it did force to reflect on myself.
[ Enter sly grin. ] If our perceptions filter and set our
realities these assessments could mean that I am coloring my world in a very
dark way. In my defense I would assert
that I am not a cynic, but a realist. To
some extent, I might also self-diagnose myself as an idealist or critically
minded. To this, I asked, “What aspects
of my life have attracted such labels?”
I believe in
planning for worst case scenarios, preparing plan B’s, and assuming that
whatever project I am working on will be more difficult than originally
expected and most likely take 10-25% longer than I initially hoped that it
does. I count on the fact that when
working with a team of people, regardless of specific or preset standards,
there will be some role sharing throughout the team to help everyone, including
myself. I do make assumptions based on
individual actions about their motivations, but try to study every side of a
given perspective before settling on an assessment.
I would submit
that these actions are discerning rather than cynical. Planning and at times assuming for worst case
scenarios is not always clouded in negativity.
The way I communicate these philosophies may be a greater part of the
problem than my actual ideology.
Cynicism can often hide behind designations such as realist, careful, or
mistrusting. Those of us who are more
“careful” may be projecting a very different persona than we realize.
Dictionary.com
gives a fairly dark definition of cynics:
Cynic – A person
who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves
in or minimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of view.
Based on
this definition, I want to exemplify the opposite of such a person. If we look at the definition of cynical, we have
a slightly different set of interpretations:
- Distrusting or disparaging the motives of others; like or characteristic of a cynic.
- Showing contempt for accepted standards of honesty or morality by one's actions, especially by actions that exploit the scruples of others.
- Bitterly or sneeringly distrustful, contemptuous, or pessimistic.
These
definitions are broader in their applications, but no less dark.
For those of
us labeled cynics, what can we derive from such designations? It is a dangerous and unflattering title to be
sure. It is something I neither want to
exemplify or give any credence to. I
believe in the power of words as well as well-defined definitions and
vocabulary. Communication can be a difficult
process at the best of times. There is
no need to muddy the waters further with inappropriate labels, definitions, or
assumptions.
That being
said, we must take a deep look into what we are communicating. We may be projecting a façade or ideology that
precipitates labels such as “cynic” rather than “preparedness” or “problem-solving.” When “cynics” are exercising their reasoning
skills to eliminate outcomes, barriers, or assess future consequences, it can
sometimes be difficult to understand what they are really trying to do. I would argue that what they are really
attempting is to discern appropriate
responses and eventualities.
Discernment
is not a negative activity. It can be
the founding aspect of virtuosity and wisdom.
It can allow for the making of right decisions and the avoidance of
undue or unnecessary outcomes. Discernment
allows for sober-minded and informed responses to circumstances both inside and
outside of us.
The challenge
is to communicate discernment and earnest assessment without spreading damaging
qualities.
Wednesday,
we will look at specific questions we can ask ourselves, our associates, and
friends to help gather the information we require while maintaining a high
level of discernment and problem solving.
References
Cynic [Def. 1].
(n.d.). In Dictionary.com, Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cynic?s=t
Cynical
[Def. 1-3]. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com, Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cynical?s=t
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