How Do You Overcome Cynicism?

Jim explains his awakening:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIaY0l5qV0c[/ame]

It is always about identity, about who you take yourself to be. There lies the key to our freedom.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeuoC6Gm-JY[/ame]
 


One way I avoid being dragged down by cynicism is to keep my head deep in some project that is mind consuming - like programming. So instead of clearing your mind (meditation), occupy it. Hedonism is another thing that I use.. just enjoy as much as you can however you want - in a way that doesn't hurt you. I don't think about much else when I'm getting my dick sucked.. and I'm still thinking about it for quite a while after it has been sucked.

Also, simple things like math, physics, and science are things to look at that can still inspire awe and a sense of beauty in a world w/out god. But if you start looking at the more complex and messy sciences like biology it's a mixed bag of beauty and disgust. Everything consumes or fights for resources with everything else on the most basic levels of life and this warfare continues right on up into to our disgusting chimp minds. And our reward for fighting our whole lives is to be completely erased and forgotten.

So there's plenty to be cynical about.

There are many ways to cope but the most effective 'coping' mechanisms for people involve self-delusion/fantasy. If you can truly deny a problem exists it will give you the most satisfaction. There's really a lot of options for you if you don't give a shit about truth.

The evolution of human intelligence has always been a balancing act between seeing enough horrors of the universe to navigate through it successfully and seeing so much horror that we're paralyzed or driven insane by it. Realize that humans have evolved an incredible ability to deny/avoid many of the horrors of life. This has actually been selected for in evolution! It's also likely the reason our memories aren't all photographic - it would be easier to wallow on past horrors if they were. Nature ain't got no time for creatures that want to sit around all day and wallow about how shity the universe is for them. We have evolved to mostly see a diamond in the sea of shit.

So the lesson here is that you're a freak of nature and you should go kill yourself.
 
Jebus all the platitudes...balance, ego, choice...

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Work, sex and psychedelics help more.
 
GimpSpack said:
Yeah, I think the internet has a lot to do with it. You get an unfiltered view into every possible niche, group, movement, perspective, etc. in existence and most of it isn't pretty.

I can imagine filtering out negativity or remaining blissfully unaware was a lot easier when all you had was a newspaper, friends, family, coworkers, TV/Radio, and your little town. Basically, your own little niche which defined your reality for you.

But now we have access to everything. One minute I can be watching a Tony Robbins presentation, and the next minute following a link to an ISIS beheading on YouTube.

WTF?!
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WHY U HAVE NO PET?!?

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Every Gay Webmaster Needs The Soft Touch Of Kittens Every Now And Then :)
 
WickedJoe said:
One way I avoid being dragged down by cynicism is to keep my head deep in some project that is mind consuming - like programming. So instead of clearing your mind (meditation), occupy it. Hedonism is another thing that I use.. just enjoy as much as you can however you want - in a way that doesn't hurt you. I don't think about much else when I'm getting my dick sucked.. and I'm still thinking about it for quite a while after it has been sucked.

Also, simple things like math, physics, and science are things to look at that can still inspire awe and a sense of beauty in a world w/out god. But if you start looking at the more complex and messy sciences like biology it's a mixed bag of beauty and disgust. Everything consumes or fights for resources with everything else on the most basic levels of life and this warfare continues right on up into to our disgusting chimp minds. And our reward for fighting our whole lives is to be completely erased and forgotten.

So there's plenty to be cynical about.

There are many ways to cope but the most effective 'coping' mechanisms for people involve self-delusion/fantasy. If you can truly deny a problem exists it will give you the most satisfaction. There's really a lot of options for you if you don't give a shit about truth.

The evolution of human intelligence has always been a balancing act between seeing enough horrors of the universe to navigate through it successfully and seeing so much horror that we're paralyzed or driven insane by it. Realize that humans have evolved an incredible ability to deny/avoid many of the horrors of life. This has actually been selected for in evolution! It's also likely the reason our memories aren't all photographic - it would be easier to wallow on past horrors if they were. Nature ain't got no time for creatures that want to sit around all day and wallow about how shity the universe is for them. We have evolved to mostly see a diamond in the sea of shit.

So the lesson here is that you're a freak of nature and you should go kill yourself.
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There's actually a lot of truth in this.

I try to take the most brutally honest, objective view of life I possibly can. I'm an extremist at heart (0% or 100%), so when I say honest, I mean I'm not afraid to explore any and every possibility. From the darkest corners to the most inspirational.

When I bring this mentality to observing human relationships, society, organizations, and the very nature of humanity itself, it can get very depressing very quickly.

My cynicism is fucking deeply engrained. I think it goes beyond fear of failure or success (although that's some of it, I'm sure).

I think a lot of it is existential.

Take human relationships for example: When I see a young couple holding a baby and smiling, it literally makes me upset.

Why?

Because

  1. You forced a life onto a planet you couldn't possibly understand out of a temporary impulse.
  2. The achievement and sense of fulfillment you're experiencing is all contrived. You're a biological puppet, and nature's pulling the strings to reward you for propagating.
  3. The notion of feeling accomplished/happy for having a child is so banal and undeserved, it makes me cringe. Some people throw themselves into their craft for decades, only to come out on the other side and gain momentary recognition (or no recognition at all [until after their dead]). And yet this young couple gets to reap massive psychic rewards for smushing their genitals together.
  4. The potential for misery on this planet is absolutely there. So by bringing a life into this world, you've now increased the likelihood that someone will experience misery by 100%. Does the welfare outweigh the misery? Idk, depends, worth exploring.

There's nothing sacred about childbirth. There's nothing sacred about parenthood. We're fucking programmed to do this shit, so when I see society's sanctimonious approach to it, it makes me ill.

There's nothing special about you or your baby. You are 1-in-7,000,000,000. How do you sit there with a soul you just ripped out of the ether, hold it, and go, "Wow. People are really going to want to see this. Here, let me take a picture of this and upload onto social media."

The evolution of human intelligence has always been a balancing act between seeing enough horrors of the universe to navigate through it successfully and seeing so much horror that we're paralyzed or driven insane by it. Realize that humans have evolved an incredible ability to deny/avoid many of the horrors of life.
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That seems like such a cop-out to me! But it's so true.

What kind of fucking creature has to put blinders up and deny reality to survive? See this is the kind of shit that makes me cynical/misanthropic.

So ignorance really is the only way out?

"Oh, maybe if I don't look at the cosmic horrors, they won't exist, and I can fabricate my own delusional narrative of existence!"

So weak. That's what I find a lot of self-help to be: Blithely ignore the uncomfortable reality of things, and fabricate your own version of it (it'll give you tingles).

There are many ways to cope but the most effective 'coping' mechanisms for people involve self-delusion/fantasy. If you can truly deny a problem exists it will give you the most satisfaction. There's really a lot of options for you if you don't give a shit about truth.
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So to cure existential cynicism, my only hope is
  • Drugs, sex, etc.
  • Fabricate my own happy cosmic narrative (or buy into someone else's)
  • Bury myself in work to make the "weird/bad stuff" go away
  • Retreat into a fantasy world of video games, movies, books
  • Make a baby and let nature wash away my cynicism long enough to ensure the survival of my offspring
  • Kill myself.

I think it might be rationally instrumental for me to just "create my own happy world" and forget about trying to look at things objectively, rationally, differently, honestly, etc.

Fuck it. If that's really what I'm dealing with, why fucking not.

Get my dick sucked, pray to magical sky parent, and hustle my ass off.

Got it.
 
Jameel said:
IIn my opinion, for starters, you are bored and your attention wanders aimlessly. I have a simple solution that is not about feeling good or thinking a certain way.

1st: Make sure that you are actually doing things in your life that you enjoy. It's easy to repeat similar patterns and habits everyday, but are you actually looking forward to doing anything specific? It's easy to fool yourself because you do the same things everyday but look closely. For me I'm aware of it, when I just plod through the day and do nothing I feel like shit. When I work on things go with current goals I feel enlivened. I'm doing shit right now and in a good space mentally, I don't necessarily 'feel good though'. I'm reading through a 900 page book on Linux Kernel programming. It's a passion for me, it changes the inner mood but I'm not raving at the mouth. When I don't do shit that drives me I could be feeling the same mood as now but I feel dim and cynical.

2nd: Attention training. Do it faggot. The only thing you are aware of now is your constant stream of shitty thoughts. You aren't really aware of them, just dimly aware, but suffering in circles. Fold a pillow in half, sit your butt on the edge of it while sitting cross legged and make sure your back is straight. Focus on the sensation of breathing wherever it is strongest. When you notice your mind wandering about stuff or thinking just notice that and come back to the breath. The first thing you will learn is you can barely do this. You are more or less trapped in your stream of thoughts and they are sometimes so subtle you really don't know you're doing it.

The thought stream is not the only channel in your head. Most people aren't even aware that this alone is true. They just exist in thoughts and only thoughts. I had a great insight once going hiking and I noticed that my mind naturally was completely quieted because my attention was so desperately needed to focus on the climb. What a mental relief this shit is, to only focus on my body / environment / breath and enjoyment of the climb.

That's what meditation is. Learning that the fucking thinking and cynical shit is not all there is. There's no point in trying to force it away or make it stop because you can't. You need to build your concentration up so you can use it and specifically use it. On the mountain I was forced into using it and not being able to think about cynical shit, bills, youtube videos. In this case you are learning a skill and can use your concentration to focus on a task, working, programming, sex, running, cooking. Whatever you are doing.

Anyone who's ever done some intense shit, skydiving, intense work out session, getting high and doing things get the idea that you can go inside of activity of what you are do. The default mode is you just being inside your thoughts, all the time, shit fucking sucks. Imagine being in the hiking frame of mind, but trying to take a math test. You'd feel like a fucking idiot who couldn't concentrate and would keep forgetting what you are looking at because your attention is on something else all the time.

It's practical as fuck and useful. Been practicing for over a year. After the first 90 days of 20 minute practice I remember I once read an entire book in 6 hours straight without even realizing someone next to me was playing a video game. Normally that shit would be so distracting trying to read words and hear sounds.

This really has helped of course with Linux books too. Any tasks that requires attention, which is all of them if you think about it.


tl;dr - Do shit that drives you. Practice concentration exercises so you can focus said passions. If you are consistently doing these activities you will be happier despite your outlook on the world.
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This is insanely insightful and excellent advice. Wickedfire delivers again. Some people that post on here really should take the advice quoted above seriously. Otherwise they will never reach self actualization.
 
The way I see it objectively cynicism has probably more merit than positivism, meaning being a cynical bastard will usually predict the future more accurately than having a positive outlook always.

But, it is _I_ who is experiencing this world, not some emotionless robot, so I need my life experience to be pleasurable. This is why the sentence in my signature is such an important piece for me.

I understand I won't achieve every goal I set, I know I won't get the girl every time I fall in love and above all, I know I might not get my dream. But at least to me, it's not about succeeding every time, it's about going for it and hoping for the best each and every time. It gives my life meaning. I think to myself "This time I just might get the dream." and I go for it, blindly, positively, confidently.

And sometimes I get it. And it's the best feeling in the world, knowing I wished something, knew I could get it and then after hard work and some time I actually got it.

However, knowing my track record I *should* be cynical. But that's no way to live in my opinion. I know I couldn't. I wouldn't be where I am if I was cynical.

So it's not about which is more accurate, it's about what makes your life better.
 
Andrey said:
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If by drugs you mean this or similar things, than yes.
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Done acid plenty of times.

I contribute much of my current thought process to heavy psychedelic use.

The last thing I need is to "question life, maaaaaaaan."

I do that shit on autopilot 24/7, 365.

I think what a lot of members here suggested is viable, mainly work and adjust focus. Regulate thought. Drugs aren't an option for me anymore (not a long-term option, anyway).

I need to stop thinking so much, and actively pursue goals, environments, situations that are conducive to serenity and happiness.

I need to actually bring myself to planet Earth, instead of trying to hover above it looking at patterns.

I need to identify with being human, instead of trying to escape biology's grasp out of some misplaced sense of dignity.

If that means praying to a sky parent or forcing a life into existence for personal emotional gain, so be it.

If that means ascribing a transcendent narrative to the cosmos, I can do that too.

If that means ignoring political trends/power-plays that are out of my control, fine.

Whatever works, right?

J. Cole said:
"I just play the game, homie, I ain't make the rules up."
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EDIT: Just thought of another one: Stop judging people, events, trends, patterns, etc. I might be holding reality to unreasonable standards (which takes an epic amount of hubris, actually).
 
JoseArmando said:
The way I see it objectively cynicism has probably more merit than positivism, meaning being a cynical bastard will usually predict the future more accurately than having a positive outlook always.

But, it is _I_ who is experiencing this world, not some emotionless robot, so I need my life experience to be pleasurable. This is why the sentence in my signature is such an important piece for me.

I understand I won't achieve every goal I set, I know I won't get the girl every time I fall in love and above all, I know I might not get my dream. But at least to me, it's not about succeeding every time, it's about going for it and hoping for the best each and every time. It gives my life meaning. I think to myself "This time I just might get the dream." and I go for it, blindly, positively, confidently.

And sometimes I get it. And it's the best feeling in the world, knowing I wished something, knew I could get it and then after hard work and some time I actually got it.

However, knowing my track record I *should* be cynical. But that's no way to live in my opinion. I know I couldn't. I wouldn't be where I am if I was cynical.

So it's not about which is more accurate, it's about what makes your life better.
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I like your take on it a lot.

Thanks for sharing.
 
I used to get really irritated by shit like the young couple holding the baby example for a lot of the reasons you described until I decided that there's nothing wrong with any of that (ie: there's nothing inherently wrong with that baby's misery in life). Once I stopped hating everyone for being so stupid (ie: there's nothing inherently wrong with them being so stupid), it became much more amusing and interesting to watch. I just think it's cognitive dissonance to think that there's nothing significant about your own life while simultaneously thinking that anyone else's fuck-ups really matter all that much.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but I feel you.
 
It basically comes down to a simple cost/benefit analysis. The cost of being an amateur, pseudo-philosopher/brutal realist outweighs the benefits by a huge margin.

I think the world needs brutal realists, for sure, but I don't think I'm very good at it. lol
 
potentialeight said:
I used to get really irritated by shit like the young couple holding the baby example for a lot of the reasons you described until I decided that there's nothing wrong with any of that (ie: there's nothing inherently wrong with that baby's misery in life). Once I stopped hating everyone for being so stupid (ie: there's nothing inherently wrong with them being so stupid), it became much more amusing and interesting to watch. I just think it's cognitive dissonance to think that there's nothing significant about your own life while simultaneously thinking that anyone else's fuck-ups really matter all that much.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but I feel you.
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Okay.

So basically you stopped projecting your own value judgements into the cosmos and holding everyone to those standards.

Likewise, you kind of had to stifle your empathy a bit. Your original concern for the child's wellbeing was really just an inordinate amount of empathy for the human condition, and your skepticism about parent's/society's abiliy to provide a good life for that kid.

Makes sense to me (unless I'm kind of projecting here).

Still gonna take a while before I can justify having a kid myself, but I'm going to start working on not having such a negative visceral reaction to people who do indiscriminately bring life into existence.
 
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Gimpsmack? What do you do/want to do for a living? (serious question, so I can give you a serious answer, although there are some VERY good ones ITT regardless.) </armchair psychiatrist>

We are all hardwired chimps/rats - perhaps - but regardless we're ALL ultimately striving for a sense of purpose. Embrace it. It's all we have/know. If you want to be happy either do something that makes YOU happy, or take the 'smug' satisfaction from helping others. Entirely up to you, and good luck either way, seriously.


FWIW, I too am a cynical bastard, but I enjoy seeing my friends children growing up etc. personally. Gives me hope. So I don't entirely understand your logic..

That, or read some Nietzsche, OP ;)
 
jonbird said:
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, Gimpsmack? What do you do/want to do for a living? (serious question, so I can give you a serious answer, although there are some VERY good ones ITT regardless.) </armchair psychiatrist>
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Early 20s.

For a living, I want to do IM/build profitable online assets. Just make enough that I can live a location-independent lifestyle. The typical dream, nothing special. After that, fool around with investing or maybe even start a more long-term business. Tons of other creative endeavors I want to jump into as well (music production, app development, etc).

FWIW, I too am a cynical bastard, but I enjoy seeing my friends children growing up etc. personally. Gives me hope. So I don't entirely understand your logic..
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I don't know. It's just I've seen so many people struggle with their life and completely lose it (mentally), that the possibility of a pro-longed, dismal existence is very real..

Life isn't for everybody, and many people (whether it be due to nature or nurture) just can't cope with this shit. It's sad to see. So when I see ill-equipped people shitting out children left and right, it makes me upset. Like, they can't even get a handle on their own life, what makes them think they can provide an adequate foundation for someone else? We barely know enough about the human condition to make our own existence tolerable.

Not only that, but 95% of human issues/conflict are due to childhood trauma of some sort. Criminality/antisocial disorders don't spring out of nowhere. The seed is planted early on in life.
We live in a trauma-based society, and I don't believe most folks understand how their irrational beliefs, shitty lifestyle choices, and impulsive parental decision making can affect developing minds.

Everyone's always doing "the best they can," but obviously that's not good enough. Sociopathy is steadily on the rise, and judging by the state of business and politics in the world, these motherfuckers are rising to the top quickly.

I believe human beings have a lot of potential. It upsets me when people bring life into the world without being aware that they're potentially tossing an otherwise valuable asset to the species into a fucking meat grinder (to continue the cycle of bullshit or perish as an empty shell of what they could have been).
 
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