Bitterly or jadedly distrustful or contemptuous; mocking. Negative or pessimistic , as from world-weariness. A cynical view of the average voter’s intelligence. ... Showed a cynical disregard for the safety of his troops in his efforts to advance his reputation.
Is cynical positive or negative?
Unfortunately, always acting cynical can have a long-term negative impact on your happiness. If you’d like to learn how to curb this personality trait, here are 11 proven strategies you can use to stop being cynical. People who are more cynical make significantly less money.
What does it mean if someone is cynical?
cynical, misanthropic, pessimistic mean deeply distrustful . cynical implies having a sneering disbelief in sincerity or integrity. cynical about politicians’ motives misanthropic suggests a rooted distrust and dislike of human beings and their society.
What is the opposite of being cynical?
Antonyms: Credulous ,gullible,hopeful,optimistic,trustful,unskeptical,unsuspecting (etc.)
What type of word is cynical?
Cynical, pessimistic, sarcastic, satirical imply holding a low opinion of humanity . Cynical suggests a disbelief in the sincerity of human motives: cynical about honesty. ... Satirical suggests expressing scorn or ridicule by saying the opposite of what one means: a satirical attack on his political promises.
Is being cynical good?
Of course, cynicism is neither wholly good nor bad . It’s easy to see how you can be too cynical, but it’s also possible to be not cynical enough. ... There are lazy forms of cynicism of which this is certainly true. But at its best, cynicism is a greater force for progress than optimism.
How can you tell if someone is cynical?
When you have a cynical attitude, you readily expect people to behave in a negative self-serving way . You immediately focus on the worst in people, which makes you feel uncomfortable around them for no proven reason. Also, you may be very critical of others.
What causes a person to be cynical?
Cynicism is part of a defensive posture we take to protect ourselves. It’s typically triggered when we feel hurt by or angry at something , and instead of dealing with those emotions directly, we allow them to fester and skew our outlook.
How do you talk to a cynical person?
- Avoid reacting. ...
- Listen beyond the emotion to what people feel they have lost or their fears about the future. ...
- Ask the person if they want to find a solution or just need a sounding board to safely express how they feel.
Is cynical the same as selfish?
is that selfish is holding one’s self-interest as the standard for decision making while cynical is of or relating to the cynics, a sect of ancient greek philosophers who believed virtue to be the only good and self-control to be the only means of achieving virtue.
What is an example of cynical?
The definition of cynical is having a belief that people only do things to serve their own needs. An example of cynical is someone who believes another only gave to charity to get a date with the person asking for the donation . Sarcastic, sneering, etc. ... A cynical view of the average voter’s intelligence.
How do you use the word cynical?
- He was cynical about politicians’ promises on taxes. ...
- I’m cynical enough to believe this is deliberate. ...
- On the whole, his moral attitude is cynical , and he is inclined to regard self-interest as the best criterion. ...
- You don’t have a cynical bone in your body. ...
- They were cynical about politics.
What is a cynical attempt?
1 distrustful or contemptuous of virtue, esp. selflessness in others ; believing the worst of others, esp. that all acts are selfish. 2 sarcastic; mocking.
Why is cynical a bad thing?
This kind of attitude is bad enough when it happens on an individual level, but at the societal level, it’s toxic . In a time where action is paramount, cynicism creates a paralyzing effect. It causes predatory delay, which is effectively the same as losing.
How does a cynical person behave?
Things start to seem farcical and ridiculous, and you question more than you did when you were a younger person. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; becoming more cynical means that you stop accepting things on face value and start approaching things with more caution .
How do cynical people behave?
When we get cynical, we are often indulging in self-righteous attitudes and forming expectations that people should behave a certain way . For example, my friend had thoughts like, “I never would have made him wait; he is so inconsiderate” or ” I guess he really doesn’t care if we get pictures of us with his family.
