Cynicism is so easy. It’s a way to view the world; to view every idea and every person as inauthentic. Those people who volunteer? It must be because they feel good from it, not because they like helping other people.
Cynicism is a cop out. It’s a cop out from responsibility and action. Ultimately, being cynical means viewing other people as selfish and deep down, unconcerned for other people. It asserts that people join the Peace Corps because it makes them feel good or furthers their careers rather than out of any altruistic motivation.
When faced with all the problems in the world, being cynical frees you from trying to stop poverty in Africa, racism here at home or any other issue liberal hippies care about. That connection between cynicism and apathy is a fundamental problem with our generation.
“Cynicism calls into doubt the intentions of other people. Being cynical means being pessimistic for the possibility of authentic interaction.”
We’ve been brought up in a culture that doesn’t believe in responsibility, much less justice. After all, economics teaches us that each person is rational and self-interested; it teaches us that all we want to do is succeed no matter what the cost. If we’re all consumers, consuming at an ever-increasing pace in the context of global capitalism, then where is the room for altruism? Where is the room for restraint?
To put it simply, if everyone I know, and everyone you know is selfish and trying to achieve their own goals without regard for other people, then is there no possibility for altruism? Is there no possibility for helping someone even if it doesn’t benefit you? Doesn’t this view reduce altruism to just self-interested benevolence?
A few weeks ago, this girl I knew wanted to make a big happy birthday poster for her roommate. I thought that sounded like a nice gesture until I found out that it was only because her roommate had made a birthday poster for her a few weeks earlier. It wasn’t because they were good friends; they didn’t hang out and never saw each other. When asked why she was going through all the trouble to make this big poster, she said “Well, it’s just payback.” Isn’t payback what you do to people who have screwed you over not to people who you consider your friends?
I don’t know about you, but I was kind of surprised. If all the nice things people do for each other arise out of a sense of reciprocity, or a sense of owing each, then what are we to each other? Are people just instruments to accomplish your goals? Is friendship just a relationship of mutual exchange? Are we only friends with people because they buy us beer and are funny? Maybe there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think friendship conceived in that way reflects a kind of cynicism.
Cynicism calls into doubt the intentions of other people. Being cynical means being pessimistic for the possibility of authentic interaction. It reduces all human interaction into selfish people mutually interacting with each other for self-interested ends. The person who volunteers at a homeless shelter becomes the person who likes having a reputation for being selfless. The person who volunteers for America Teaches becomes the person who volunteers to improve their resume.
The problem is this: cynicism is an amazingly easy way of thinking. If everyone who seemingly tries to be good is really just selfish, then you are free to not care and be apathetic. Cynicism is the excuse for inaction and inconsideration for others.
