Brutkey

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
@benroyce@mastodon.social

@mcSlibinas@mastodon.social @Daojoan@mastodon.social

well said

cynicism in and of itself is not wrong per se

it's very useful to use it to look at the other side of a thought

then we can accept the cynical analysis and try a different thought, reject the cynical analysis, or alter the original thought to incorporate the cynical observation

what we can't do is make cynicism our entire personality, the beginning and ending of our entire thought processes

that's pretty much the death of {gestures broadly}

François @Jura
@FrancoisPrague@mastodon.social

@benroyce@mastodon.social @mcSlibinas@mastodon.social @Daojoan@mastodon.social

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
@benroyce@mastodon.social

@FrancoisPrague@mastodon.social @mcSlibinas@mastodon.social @Daojoan@mastodon.social

exactly

1. idealism is a form of failure. which is not a condemnation of idealistic people. we all start out as idealists in life

2. cynicism, as idealism's mirror image, is also a failure. it's what naturally follows from step 1 because of inevitable adversity

3. maturity is using idealistic thoughts to guide you, but filtering it through realism (not cynicism)

the problem is people stuck on step 1, or step 2

all of us should strive to reach step 3

Ω 🌍 Gus Posey
@Gustodon@mas.to

@benroyce@mastodon.social "Idealism is a form of failure."

🤯

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
@benroyce@mastodon.social

@Gustodon@mas.to

it's a stage in development towards maturity

it's not so much a failure mode as a premature mode that we all pass through

although you can call it a failure mode for some people who cling to idealism stubbornly, to their own detriment (and our collective detriment if they convince others to cling to idealism)

mcSlibinas
@mcSlibinas@mastodon.social

@benroyce@mastodon.social @Gustodon@mas.to i think idealism is a direction. Cynicism is a tool. Realism - this is a bit tricky, i guess realism is a result or unstable balance.

Ben Royce 🇺🇦 🇸🇩
@benroyce@mastodon.social

@mcSlibinas@mastodon.social @Gustodon@mas.to

realism, i think, can be defined as nothing more than idealism shaped by experience

you still aim to the good goal

but now you know the road is not simple

so you continue towards the good goal, but you get there with the tools that adversity taught you, which can be called cynicism

cynicism (as a personality, not as a tool as you say and i agree) is sitting down on the side of the road and giving up. cynicism as a personality is giving in to adversity, a failure mode