The soul has greater need of the ideal than the real for it is by the real that we exist, it is by the ideal that we live

Monday, February 15, 2010

Regarding cynicism

Yesterday I was reading Men's Health Magazine. Yes, Yes, I know it's garbage and the proof was, of course, in the pudding, Paul Walker was on the cover.  Walker is one of those people for whom it is impossible to determine the origin of their success. He's completely talentless, he's not that good-looking, he's not ugly mind you, but seriously, he's no Adonis either, and though he stars in what would have been called B movies back in the day, they're frequently intolerable.

In any case, there was some discussion in a later article about an interview with Matthew McConaughey.  McConaughey seems like he's a nice guy, but I'm not sure he's the Dali Lama when it comes to living well.  Unfortunately, this interviewer portrayed him that way.  His philosophy of life was the hook of this story and they both managed to decry cynicism.

I must take issue with their views.

First, I'd agree that cynicism can hold a person back from success, if they're seeking it. I'd agree it can create a mindset wherein one can end up bitter and unsatisfied and blaming others for their lack of success. Sure!  It can do all of those things. I've seen it employed by people who said they looked for success, yet always needed a bad guy to blame when it didn't work out.  Cynicism is not a tool to be used by apprentices.

It can also be a useful tool.

It can, you know, be used as a tool to keep people from getting too close.  To get them to leave you alone if you so desire.  Like everything else,. it doesn't always work, but most of the time it's very effective.

It can, in short, have nothing to do at all with one's desire for success, or one's fear of it either.  It can simply be a defense mechanism.

Since they don't know how to use it, they oviously haven't explored it's many uses. Poor things.

They also included this little magazine test in which one answers five or six questions to determine their level of cynicism.  The higher the score, the more cynical.  I scored a 9 out of a possible 28.

Pardon my use of the cyber-vernacular but ROFL.

One of the meager points they tried to make, which struck home, was a criticism of the education system. I believe the question went something like, "The education system is hopeless."  And their "constructive" way of rephrasing that was to say "What have I taught him today."

How touchy-feely.

The education system is broken boys.  It needs a complete overhaul.  Mincing around with semantics is NOT going to solve the problem. But it's what a certain ilk does. 

I by the way, bust my butt everyday to teach people something, so I earn my right to the cynicism I employ and my reasons for using it are my own.

Let's make a pact (that's pact, not pack), I won't judge you, if you'll return the favor. I doubt it'll be easy for either of us.

But that's how one learns.


And so it goes:
 
Love, cause it's all you got.