Cynicism is the gremlin that daily tempts us to surrender.

[Sympthsical]

9. Cynicism is what prepares people for reality

Cynicism doesn't mean to surrender or give up. Cynicism means to temper one's expectations and prepare for that which is most likely to occur.

If I tell my nephew, "Hey, you should do your homework," and I know he's going to play video games instead, that's cynicism. It's also most likely what's going to happen. I am not surprised by this fact. So what I will do is prepare for this with an array of actions I may take when events follow their usual route. If he does not do it, mention we won't go play tennis until it's done. Or maybe tell him we're not going shoe shopping if it doesn't get done.

Cynicism is the opposite of faith-based optimism. People operate a certain way. It's just how the world works. I hope he does his homework, but I'm not going through life being ambushed by surprise over foreseeable outcomes.

Cynicism isn't surrender. It means I'll worry about the shit I can affect and not expect too much from the things I can't.

And hey, when shit actually does happen, it's a happy little surprise. I'd rather good surprises than bad ones.

There's a difference between faith and optimism and being oblivious and blinkered to the reality of events and the world we live in because one is invested in some way, be it personal, political, or social, in the denial being true.