Comments | laverda77: How to avoid cynicism

laverda77

How to avoid cynicism

Oct 11, 2006 00:09

Most times I'm fairly even-keeled, neurosis aside. What I mean by that is most days pass by quietly without great joy or great aggravation. There's very littl edrama in my life, and I'm thankful for that. Each day has its little pleasures, its quiet satisfactions, its confusions, and some minor irritants. I find that when I'm off-center, that's ( Read more... )

Comments 4

scriptedflight October 12 2006, 03:57:40 UTC

When i perceive people in that way, everything seems cold, hostile, and alienating. It starts gradually for me, imperceptably, but over the course of a few days or weeks, I become miserable and depressed. I want to withdraw from everyone and everything when this goes on for a while.

This has happened to me so many times! Just like you said - a gradual growing paranoia that everyone is out to get me, or at least only out to satisfy their own ends.

Never did it occur to me that they may have high-stress jobs, an asshole boss, a shitty marriage, or maybe just a bad case of hemmorhoids.The fundamental attribution error! Ever since learning about it in psych I always try to consider situational influences instead of immediately jumping to a dispositional attribution. Especially when driving ( ... )

laverda77 October 12 2006, 05:08:45 UTC

Thank you. I don't know that I'm insightful quite so much as life has just beaten me into a state of reasonableness!

scriptedflight October 12 2006, 10:49:37 UTC

Haha, that's a cool way of putting it.

tyranorexic October 12 2006, 05:37:36 UTC

I think my cynicism is very comfortable, so I don't really want
to change my mind about people (in general) being awful pricks.
It makes it all the better when you find someone who isn't that way.

I did enjoy reading this, though. Happy endings.