The Cynical Genius Illusion - Dr. Jamil Zaki

[@kingdoyle6066]

“In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength" - Iroh

[@Crihnoss]

Oh god... I needed to hear that voice in my head. Here comes a 7th full rewatch...

[@vektheartist]

@@Crihnoss🤣🤣🤣 I FEEL you on that! That show is DEEP!

[@vektheartist]

He told that to Zuko right? I remember pondering that one for a few. 🤔😂

[@Crihnoss]

@vektheartist He did

[@davidgamblin5922]

If you get comfortable with your thoughts being by yourself you’ll be able to handle any stressors life dishes out

[@KaleiWorks]

Getting rid of the television, avoiding new films, deleting most social media and curating the remaining feeds to relentlessly positive outlooks has done wonders. It's insane how everything now seems geared towards pushing the negative mindset, but as soon as you cut off the source, successes begin stacking, life becomes much more pleasant, and love begins to flourish.

[@evelynn4273]

and lauding those negative attributes as a well as making harmful things as addictive as possible.

[@Wholeness9]

I love this. I haven’t had a TV for 9 years,watched a news feed for 15,NEVER had a social media account,am 75% raw,local organic vegan,(about 25% vegetarian) gave away my car & truck 9 year ago and ride a bicycle to work,I am astonished at how wonderful a human being is supposed to feel- my outlook , relationships,conversations are meaningful and positive and inspiring, sure I have bad or awful moments… NEVER bad days, heal,be well,be you and LOVE US

[@jasonalaimo4787]

Well said! I’m really loving reading some of the comments on this one, a lot of cynics in the crowd, 😂😂 GIGO

[@BigToody]

Yeah, characters nowadays are hard to root for. It’s like the writers think being virtuous is embarrassing or too boring or too naive. But I also think that character Arcs don’t need to be about being morally good, it’s just about self-actualization and becoming more whole as a person. Like in terms of psychology

[@jenshaw8085]

Ya, let’s all become Amish! 🤦‍♀️

[@AfterSkool]

"People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

[@Poisonedblade]

And, they are unconsciously broadcasting that to everyone around them through their actions, speech, and body language. If you walk into a coffee shop and someone is gleefully telling a story about how they caught a big fish last weekend, your mind will find similar memories. If another person is staring into their laptop looking hopeless angry, your mind will find similar memories. Everyone is affecting their environment all the time. Optimistic people raise up other people. The Doomsayers drag everyone down.

[@ephraimwinslow]

And by total coincidence? Accepting that precept puts you in a position of being a good person automatically if you say nice things. It's not like anyone can actually do an accounting of your actual viewpoints, just accept or discard your stated optimism at face value. (Not that it matters much either way, because there's not really much difference. You don't have to *do* anything whether you sincerely or facetiously believe everything's gonna work out fine. In fact, if you do believe that by default? You have zero incentive to take any action of any kind. Why would you? You believe everyone will be fine automatically by dint of fortunate serendipity and/or the universe's inherent and ineffable goodness.)

[@Dustin_the_wind]

I feel as if this is a logical fallacy, not truly accounting for the reason all of this is even up for debate. I thought it was nailed down when it was said, "behind every cynic, is a scorned idealist." While not addressing the root, it does leave the statement to expound on the reader. A confession? No, not at all. It just is; delude yourself all you will, but the fact remains as history shows. We're just pushing the rock up the hill anymore, and looking to blame anything but the cause.

[@WiseandVegan]

Are you vegan then? Dominion (2018)

[@WhiteMouse77]

Go working in corporate shared services and learn through making own experience who people really are, what they are like and what's this rotten civilization is about.... Most people are right the opposite they prettend to be and manipulative persuaders are the worst...

[@notboringbored1718]

This may not get seen but I'd like to remind everyone that we all go through Cynical, Skeptical, Hopeful, and Naive points in our lives. Just because you're being cynical today doesn't mean that tomorrow you're not going to be hopefully skeptical. Attempting to regulate down to a single constant only works in a vacuum. The Universe is uniform chaos, your life is a series of patterns that repeat time and time again. The internet, books, stories and data points only serve to provide us with a constant backlog of personal perspectives explained differently. Today, I'm hopeful that tomorrow my cynicism and skepticism work together; making sure I'm not naive to the future we are headed for, the past we came from, and the present we inhabit.

[@fatherburning358]

Well said 👏

[@HoboGardenerBen]

Ya dude :)

[@alexandermccabe556]

what an interesting take im glad i found it

[@kwimms]

If you go through all those things, you are probably a woman. Alpha men follow God and are at peace at all times.

[@fatherburning358]

@@kwimms hahahaha 🤣

[@MADMATJOHNSON]

I like how some of the character designs are loosely based on SpongeBob 😂

[@antt9862]

First thing I noticed was “that dude has the nose of Squidward…”

[@Justlivin00]

Loosely? That definitely was, he used Patrick going to grab the fishing hook as the naive truster. Such a good example 😆

[@doctoribanez]

I think you are loosely based on SpongeBob

[@colinbluth5461]

i just got it now

[@AyAyRon47]

Came here to write this, hahaha

[@PalimpsestProd]

In an atomized mostly anonymous society "good" people flow past you and leave no impression or mark, "bad" people mess up your life so you remember them. You will never be aware of the person that stopped the stray shopping cart from hitting your car while you weren't there but you will always remember the time you found your car keyed.

[@charlesmuller120]

LOVE this! Thanks!

[@VeniceInventors]

Don't you remember far more people with fondness than with resentment though? I'd think that overall nasty people are a small minority and thus, beside having more nice people to remember, we also have a natural tendency to block out and forget bad experiences, unless we keep dwelling on them instead of moving on as we should.

[@johnoshaughnessy670]

​@VeniceInventors I think that's an excellent point as well! What you and OP are saying is not contradictory, but in fact complimentary. When we are seeing things more broadly, we can see that many people we encounter in our lives are of a good nature - there is warmth in a smile from a stranger or someone holding the door for you, and these things are easily perceptible to one whose self image is one of warmth and kindness. When a person feels cut off from themselves, others appear to have cold, apathetic expressions and don't really notice each other unless inconvenienced by one another. I've experienced plenty from each perspective.

[@NWPaul72]

Corporate restaurants all say the same thing: a diner who has a bad experience tells ten people, the diner who had a perfect evening tells two. The market knows.

[@tuseroni6085]

one time i went to an ATM to take out money for rent, nearly $700 (this was around '09) i took the receipt from the ATM and started planning what i would be spending the remainder of the money on as i walked back to my car, what i DIDN'T take from the ATM was my money. the next day i go to pay the rent and realize what had happened, i went back, of course the money wasn't in the ATM, but i asked at the bank and someone had found the money and gave it to the bank. i fully expected someone to find the money and make off with it, but instead they found it did the right thing, even though it didn't benefit them. it was a little act of goodness that has stuck with me to this day.

[@phoenixpv]

I really liked this one! A Buddhist teacher once said something that I feel is fitting here, “Respect is given, trust is earned.” Meaning that out of respect, we give people the chance to earn our trust or show us that they’re not trustworthy. This simple statement seems to be the epitome of “hopeful skeptic”.

[@cloudcyclone]

for me personally i find that avoiding unnecessary competition in life is a really good way to stay optimistic. 99% of competition in my life has been placed upon me by others, and is illusion and not real. our economy has tricked many people into thinking they must compete, creating enemies and people they must overcome, instead of working together and caring about the right things. if you really believe you must compete to get something done or achieve something, you already are losing because you assume other humans cannot get the job done as well as you or that you are special or deserving of the opportunity more, more illusions.

[@KHX274]

I agree. Competition also untermines teamwork and friendships.

[@billiuminoakland]

@@KHX274it also sparks innovation…

[@blinkers88]

you sound against capitalism. true?

[@regulusandraphael]

You would have to be the most deluded optimist to believe the lies about capitalism. Show me a society that is using true capitalism? Capitalism would have allowed the banks to fail in 2008, yet a president with the flick of a pen made taxpayers bail them out. Does that sound like your high notions of capitalism? The OP nailed it (which is so refreshing to see) in how our economy is a system of lack (debt) that absolutely creates a system of competition amongst people and does not allow for collaboration. Ultimately anything involving the exchange of currency today is a win/lose. You may deceive yourself otherwise, but on macro levels, it is competition always for a limited resource. And it's all by design. Now I should be hopeful that the rest of the the ignorant wake up, but I'm really not.

[@cloudcyclone]

@@blinkers88 mostly true. I think money as an incentive is fine but not our forms of capitalism nor the mentality it breeds nor the weak education systems propping up capitalism, nor the exploitation of people for profits. there is a ton of work to get done, we dont need trick people, blackmail them, or force them to do anything. our goal in life should not be power.

[@peterzhang9492]

Faith and trust is earned not imagined

[@WhitneyDahlin]

Yeah I totally disagree with his take here. Because it IS a privilege to be hopeful as an adult. People who truly believe that the majority of people can be trusted, that a government ( ANY government) can be trusted ARE extremely privileged. Because the only way they can truly believe that is if they have never experienced true suffering at the hands of a corrupt system or the hands someone in power or an authority figure. They've never been attacked on the street by a stranger. It is privilege alone that allows them to live in a fantasy world where are the majority of politicians are good people and the majority of people on the street wouldnt watch you get into a car accident and then film it instead of help you. People are born hopeful. Children are NOT born cynical. They are beaten into that mindset by life itself. Privilege is what separates the hopeful from the cynical. That's it.

[@OlakalO]

That's cynical

[@bikerinthewoods7256]

You may be describing some people and their response to negative experiences, but not all people. Many of our greatest thinkers and leaders have suffered trauma yet heal, move forward, and live life generously.

[@ondrejfait9]

My trust is given, distrust is earned. Faith is everlasting.

[@Kelnx]

I agree that there is no reason to trust others by default, but by the same token there is no reason to distrust by default either. Somewhere in the middle is the proper approach to both prevent getting taken advantage of but also not missing out on opportunities because you're hampered by your own cynicism. "Guarded trust" is probably the best way to put it.

[@Stan_in_Shelton_WA]

I believe in people, believe they will do what is best for them at almost all costs. I trust people, trust that they will put themselves first in almost every situation. My optimism never fails me, optimistic that; believing, trusting and relying, on myself will be my path forward towards good outcomes.

[@colint3375]

Love this, having a phrase like “hopeful skeptic” helps me see these traits in myself and solidifies them more firmly in conscious awareness.

[@Dziad_Gada]

Great work! I appreciate how much effort this must have taken. Well-deserved recognition! Greetings from the Republic of Sovereigns❣

[@JasonPruett]

1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty; 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From dependence back into bondage"

[@tuseroni6085]

or: hard times make strong men; strong men make good times; good times make weak men; weak men make hard times.

[@heatherc1563]

The thing that truly makes a difference is action. You can feel hopeful or hopeless but what you DO is the only way anything will change things for better or for worse. The ones who hold the power in this world don’t care how you feel as long as you do what they want.

[@hsasser3]

That is why I am not a pessimist, nor an optimist, but a REALIST! To me, everyone has the potential to do good or bad. Most will default to the "Status Quo," which ultimately keeps them safe, while supporting their friends and family, and... usually, their community. But then, everyone makes mistakes, and I am no exception. But I am also an IDEALIST! If there is something I can do to improve the day, I do it, almost instantly. So, in a way, I'm like your cynic, but with a positive outlook.

[@nyxcole9879]

❤

[@majermike]

me too, I'm both the most cynical and happiest and most optimistic of just about everyone I know, I feel like this video did not give me a place, not a very well made video imo

[@ledbychaos]

Both extremes are stupid, the middle is where we start to orient the right attitude towards the right things. More than optimistic or cynical we could aspire to be hopeful yet realistic even where it's about accepting bad vibes or situations. The system feeds on the extremely cynical as much on the extremely optimistical. I'm confident to say that this is the best view about the topic.

[@SamAnon8]

I believe that it feeds more on the optimistic and less on the sceptic. The operators of the system need people who are easily manipulable. Most of the disinformation and mind control is directed at them and they blindly accept the flow and spearhead movements aimed at scapegoating and mass control. The video above is a classic case of scapegoating whereby people who have been wronged or have suffered the worst of the injustice would see more isolation than before. If there was an alternative title to be had for this video, it would be "Trust the system" and the elite would rejoice.

[@Wuwei72-o5n]

Hope is the greatest evil because it prolongs the suffering of man.

[@ericaugust1501]

@@SamAnon8 this might depend on the country. the US is, in my opinion, an extreme example of a society with a very predatory upper 5%. the greed is all kinds of crazy, with constant parasitic extraction practiced for no reason other than 'because we can'. And most of those people sadly end up in the senate and congress, or being their over paid propagandists. i do see hope of course, but its not coming from the system.

[@SamAnon8]

@@ericaugust1501 It's same everywhere, only intensity varies and the issue here isn't just about economy and politics but also about human behaviour that hardly leaves anybody untouched. To put in brief, I'd say that only label of the bottle keeps on changing, the water in it remains the same (murky and sinister).

[@SamAnon8]

@@ericaugust1501 Wherever there is some hope left, the Big brother is watching and ensuring that it doesn't threaten the system.

[@ksgraham3477]

I tend to think good of people, evil of organizations. Power corrupts, absolutely.

[@CelestialJourneyDreamWalker]

Yeah I can see that, I wouldn't say every person is good though I try to see it like there are more that truly mean well than not.

[@Pallasathena-hv4kp]

Ditto. I have a good opinion of people I’ve just met(until proven otherwise). But it’s very rare to find group of people with good intentions.

[@ksgraham3477]

@@Pallasathena-hv4kp Right mob and herd mentality is frightening.

[@ksgraham3477]

@@Pallasathena-hv4kp Right. Mob and herd mentality is frightening.

[@Sgtcortez1337]

Power does not corrupt it enables

[@LkwdTrauma]

I just discovered your channel through the Gabor Mate video. Seeing my pain and addiction laid out so clearly and feeling the man’s kindness through the screen, I cried throughout.

[@wolfeprocter]

Somewhere between saccharine idealism and bitter cynicism is a mature realism. Yes, there are selfish, cruel, and treacherous people, yet there surely are selfless, kind, and trustworthy as well.

[@jameydunne3920]

And when you find those good people, praise'em like crazy and hold the ones you can close to you as possible. It's cheesy, but true. You become who you hang around. Or the inverse, you hang out with who you are/ want to be.

[@liaml.e.5964]

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist." -George Carlin-

[@SkandalouzStyle]

I'm A Realist! masquerading as a cynic, who secretly an optimist...

[@bcfortenberry]

My dad would take me to his office at the Marshall Space Flight Center when I was a kid. I used to look at the art on the walls and dream about the future humanity could build together. Now I just hope to avoid autocracy in my remaining years. Cynicism is earned in most cases. People can pretend otherwise if they’d like.

[@fooly_grulee]

Okay? Live like that forever I guess, Squidward.

[@bcfortenberry]

You calling me a name isn’t really gonna make me question a lifetime of experience and human interaction, but hey- if it makes you feel better..

[@ransbarger]

@@bcfortenberry Great comment.

[@ransbarger]

@@fooly_grulee Dumb comment.

[@xdgnr8499]

Watching the country mimic that movie Idiocracy does tend to bring out the cynic in me.🙄

[@LifeLessons-us]

Often times 'good' deeds go unnoticed, while negative encounters remain in our memories.

[@angeltrogi6871]

i truly wish you could broadcast your channel on every outlet. you make everything make sense and make the connections of thoughts we all seem to have. I have faith in humanity and hope that one day we can see that we have this innate desire to be loved and connected. thank you so much for this video!

[@Roy-tg2il]

I despise when your guest expose my flaws. This is why I support you..

[@notchristianhodges8123]

I'm cynical when it comes to institutions like government. I don't think there's any hope that it will get better, but I'm very optimistic with humanity as a whole. I think we'll continue to improve and evolve as a species in spite of government.

[@FSR431]

It's not a matter of having hope. It's a matter of what you have hope in.

[@sleepyboient]

(Personally not a cynical person). I think people confuse the “hope” with belief. Hopeful gives me that (dumb & dumber *I understand the analogy) Jim Carey “there’s a chance”. I don’t believe it’s going to “Be”. This is the same w/ the opposition.

[@evelynn4273]

i refuse to be shamed by this channel

[@AmateurHuman19]

You heard this message as shaming? May I ask why? Either way I'm glad you engaged with it, I found it refreshing in a sea of videos that try to sell me negativity. This isn't some toxic positivity either, it's balanced in my view.

[@AfterSkool]

I refuse to shame you...

[@KHX274]

Why would you be shamed?

[@williammurtha929]

@@AfterSkoolfive words. But wow, what a powerful response. I’ve just learned so much from this. Cheers

[@Matx5901]

Your answer is perfectly logical, and I agree : the subject is morally treated.

[@GreenMochi420]

I think a healthy dose of cynicism is good to mix in with hopeful skepticism, and a dash of open-mindedness. I think you can be taken advantage of if you don’t have some routine about how others might use you. It happens all the time and ive watched people convince themselves things will get better in situations that they won’t. I like optimism, but I think we have some responses like healthy cynicism because we live in a world that wants to kill us, and like all things we shouldn’t go over-board, but instead have self-control, and use rational thought.

[@thewafflegamer6152]

I like that you used 2 humanoid characters that look like SpongeBob and squidward, such things mentioned in the video even show up in the show itself, with SpongeBob being open to almost everything while squidward would rather put his interests into a status quo.

[@cryptodoc-SD]

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

[@Survivalguy]

I was well on my way to becoming a bitter lonely ass hermit because so so many people I trusted stabbed me in the back. Even though I was kind, generous and helpful. Well thank goodness I met some smart driven people who recognize my value and want to start a business together. I have hope once again.

[@doctorgenerous]

I like the dialectical approach of hopeful skepticism. It is a both/and, not an either/or. We can be both hopeful in the world, the future, and others; but also, critically and skeptically evaluate data and information to make more informed decisions that can help us progress towards the future we hope for.

[@brandonwilliamson2791]

I understand that people are fluid. I saw comments about how you can be one way today. And another way tomorrow. But I also understand that people develop predispositions to how they encounter situations. It may not be black and white. But I don't believe you were suggesting it was. If you didn't believe people were dynamic and subject to change, you wouldn't have posed a concept which encouraged people to reprogram their dispositions. Very well done. The people in the comment section should spend less time trying to sound smart. And more time learning how to be smart. You put into words a concept I have long thought about.

[@theprecipiceofreason]

"Cynics are bad and dumb" is, itself, both a cynical argument and a cynical research study that serves, primarily, to silence criticisms.

[@magustacrae]

That was great. Luckily, I've always been skeptically hopeful. Probably stuff i learned in HS and grabbed onto. Of course i enjoyed exposure to philosophies,(study,) but also I enjoyed the Romantics, and then was very fortunate to have an outdoor education class where i learned skeptical hope was often the only thing that was gonna get you to the next drink of water, valley, day, etc... Loved this video.

[@alexanderdalbakk2463]

„Scratch the surface of most cynics and you find a frustrated idealist - someone who made the mistake of converting his ideals into expectations.“ - Peter M. Senge Understanding were cynics come from makes it easier to empathise with their position, not to mention, recognising our own inner cynic by it's motives. Giving up on believing in something better, to protect against any potential disappointments is a common response to trauma.

[@kellykizer7014]

Hope for the best be prepared for the worst.

[@markharding1985]

I recall hearing an expression that went something like: The optimist creates the airplane. While the pessimist creates the parachute.

[@jamesmccann9025]

Or did the optimist create the parachute after a plane crash?

[@CharlesLambert137]

I'd say the optimist created the airplane and the parachute. The pessimist advocated to ban air travel.

[@ElixusNexus]

@@CharlesLambert137I’d say that’s what the hopeful skeptic would do, not the optimist

[@yoppindia]

pessimist creates the rules, so that you don't crash. Also not everyone can create an aeroplane or a parachute for that matter. parachute was invented before aeroplane in year 1783, more than 100 years before aeroplane!

[@GwydionFrost]

I've never been able to figure out if I am a cynical optimist or an optimistic cynic. I can see the greatness within people, and encourage them to embrace it. I am also fully aware that they will never actually achieve this greatness because they cannot see it or believe it themselves, since society is more inclined to try to push you down than raise you up. Hard to be heard over 8 billion naysayers.

[@slohmann1572]

“Take a peak at your social media feed”. No can do. I dumped social media years ago to avoid all that negativity.

[@Somerandommomcommentor]

Best mental health decision I've ever made 👍

[@allengaible6436]

This is still social media. It's people sharing thoughts on a video. But I'd agree with you that this is a decent place to hang out.

[@mohammedmoshood9253]

just the video i needed to see. thank you Mr Jamil Zaki

[@paradigmrap]

A pessimist can quite easily be an experienced optimist!

[@MrMistachow]

Everyone in North America needs to watch and understand this video

[@dixonpinfold2582]

But why be rigidly skeptical and distrustful or rigidly trusting and optimistic when you can be flexibly realistic? The important thing is to use your brain actively, not put it lazily on autopilot.

[@enderkoregameing8090]

100%

[@CharlesLambert137]

If it's that easy why are so many people not doing it?

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

@CharlesLambert137 Cause they sheeple little lambert, cause they are sheeple who WORSHIP comfort and the cognitive dissonance (psychological discomfort) of conflicting and new information is too much of a scary wolf to ever overcome their existing beliefs.

[@dixonpinfold2582]

​@@CharlesLambert137 I don't see where I wrote that it's "easy." (In fact I implied it's antithetical to laziness.)

[@myself2noone]

Simple, because people who say they're doing that are usually just cynics.

[@sordidknifeparty]

What you're saying is lovely, I think the problem that most people have with it is that you can have hundreds of interactions where you choose to believe that the person you're interacting with is trustworthy, and that might result in some nice times. However, it takes only one time of trusting someone who can't be trusted to end up locked in a basement somewhere, so I think people just choose to take the less risky choice and not inherently trust anyone

[@emcee6152]

Here's the winning combination: expect the worst in people, and plan for it, but always give them the benefit of the doubt.

[@mohammedmoshood9253]

just the video i needed to day. thank you Mr Jamil Zaki

[@Bort_Bortly]

Eric Hoffer once wrote “Rudeness is a weak imitation of strength.” I would extend that to “cynicism is a weak imitation of wisdom.”

[@zCaptainz]

Thanks, Bort_Bortly

[@ephraimwinslow]

"Optimism is a sedentary man's play at virtue. It is the pleasant lullaby he sings himself to sleep with while opposing and achieving nothing. And saccharine politesse is a narcissist's sad personal testimonial of their own virtue, delivered to any crowd who'll listen... and practiced religiously in front of any reflective surface fit for task." -Me, just now.

[@allengaible6436]

I really enjoy that graph with the four quadrants. I'm always on the bottom half of that graph as "data" is another form of power manipulation (those who have the "data" have the means to construct it). Right now, I'm a cynic but I could (and hope) sway back into naivety.

[@z0r0anav]

I need to apply this more. I’ve found myself trapped in the comfort of cynicism. There’s definitely more to people than meets the eye.

[@mattrix4200]

I have been speaking on this (and related topics) for decades. It's nothing short of dangerous to continue supporting this trend of distrust and cynicism in society. As mentioned in the video, it leads to easier manipulation by those in power, it leads to more dangerous neighbourhoods, and it leads to more breakdowns in marriages! Those who support cynicism and extremism are those who are often so broken, they take their joy quite literally in gaining power over others through laws, forced behaviours, and injustice towards whomever they deem ''unworthy'' of being happy & healthy.

[@secretgoldfish]

This is a nice idea/sentiment .......but can also unfortunately be ironically apathetic too when considering the sad reality that we ARE now increasingly living in the post-manipulation stage of now being overly SELF-led (via the cult of supposed 'good intentions' deliberately NOT further considered) into a colder, more dehumanised and selfishly self-serving world filled with shamelessly hollow virtue-signalling to compensate (badly) for ironically having NO ACTUAL virtue while far too easily manipulated and then devolved. Thomas Sowell covered it well with.... "Instead of knowledge, they have fake (over-encouraged) self-esteem (egos) so they can spout their ignorance with confidence"

[@krisg3984]

I don't remember who said it, to give credit for them, but I love this saying. . . . "Perception creates whatever it's pointed at." And thats why i go out into my little yard to drink my morning coffee and not just look -- but SEE the moments spent there . Looks like a good book to read .

[@dmtdreamz7706]

Disease and health, like circumstances, are rooted in thought. Sickly thoughts will express themselves through a sickly body. Thoughts of fear have been known to kill a man as speedily as a bullet, and they are continually killing thousands of people just as surely though less rapidly. The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it. Anxiety quickly demoralizes the whole body, and lays it open to the entrance of disease; while impure thoughts, even if not physically indulged, will soon shatter the nervous system. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all-such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.

[@BaronCreel]

What of those hopeful cave explorers who find themselves trapped to death underground in pursuit of a hope?

[@dmtdreamz7706]

@BaronCreel You don't get it. It's just you. I'm you. I'm you talking to you. I will keep cave exploring until you realize that your me and that i'm you. I don't have my own consciousness. I'm you. I'm a fragment of your consciousness. You imagined that I have my own consciousness for the purpose of fooling yourself into thinking that your not alone, that your not God.

[@k54dhKJFGiht]

Nailed it! I am a Squidward who married a Sponge Bob. I have learned so much, and my life is now SO much happier - I wouldn't change a single thing about him!

[@au9parsec]

But the majority have every reason to feel cynical since over the past several decades employers in general have been forcing their employees to work overtime on a weekly basis while paying them a meagerly wage, while basic expenses have been getting more and more expensive. Therefore in our current situation cynicism is definitely not an illusion.

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

Correct but that doesn't fit their idiot narrative.

[@dickjohnson9582]

Oh silly child. You've been watching too much tik tok. Just ignore the declining quality of life.

[@AlexDrayke]

No majority is entitled to cynicism. Group think (or as I like to call it, dead-think) such as this is entirely the reason why they're able to be used. A resource that is actively allowing itself to be used should and will ABSOLUTELY be used. The majority should employ themselves instead and be willing to embrace freedom at any cost, regardless of ego, if they don't want to be workers (resources). Align yourself with natural law and universal good only. If you do that, life will open up to you. Life won't open up by asking or forcing someone (an employer) to take care of you, regardless of what you offer them.

[@kimj5037]

"Cynics....even support authoritarian, strongman leaders who promise to protect citizens from each other, even if it means giving up some of their freedom. Cynicism is not a radical worldview, it's a tool of the status quo." That was just brilliant, and so perfectly sums up what is happening to young people in University. And, fun fact, in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, Hobbes is named after Thomas Hobbes.

[@1776FREE2]

3:00 "Those dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Perhaps cynics see something you don't

[@tw3638]

Perhaps the hopeful see something the cynics don’t. Not for naivety, but having gone to the otherside of great negativity.

[@fooly_grulee]

We all have different perspectives. Doesn't make mass cyniscim any less harmful for your life and society.

[@gregoryporch8395]

​@@tw3638Try explaining something abstract to a room full of people who take everything at face value.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

​@@fooly_grulee I'm not one to choose misery, but to live happy in a lie is soul crushing, in the final blow of realization. Trust your gut, is my findings.

[@themantimeforgotx]

i would say that I'm in the suspicious skeptic camp currently. I would love to be in the Hopeful skeptic's camp. Hopely one day before I die....

[@amyedie8902]

These three remain, Faith, Hope, and love. Hope is keeping company with a couple of big deal words here. I don’t think it gets near enough press. There’s a lot of emphasis put on faith. Love has always been a superstar. I’m glad Hope gets a little attention here.

[@merodobson]

Be the change you want to see.

[@scdundee12]

Yes

[@amberlihartwellacting]

Very good - thanks for creating and sharing this. It is interesting how it's assumed the "naive optimist" has gone through life never having reasons to mistrust anyone and only the cycnic has. I think what happens to the optimist is eventually they see that they can trust themselves. They look back on what has happened and see the intutive signs they ignored before and so they can beleive in themselves and those nudges even more strongly the next time.

[@balzeck9000]

This is so more complicated than that. Cynism is logical in a universal point of view where optimism is logical at a small view. Human is objectively a plague for Earth and others animals actually. That's a fact, not a personal view. Thinking that things gonna be better tomorrow is only possible where you consider by transposition of your own social cercle. There is no good or wrong answer here. It's based on your own prism. (What are you taking as a variable or not in the equation.)

[@yoppindia]

very few can process the greys, its easier to process black and white.

[@heatherc1563]

Babies are a plague on the earth? An objective fact? Double think much?I’m a human and I’m no plague. We are part of and created from this Earth. There is good and there is evil. There is creation and there is destruction. It’s not human fault it’s human choice. I know what I choose and we will win. Sic semper tyrannis

[@thomaslyons441]

I'm reminded of a quote, "Nobody ever erected a monument to a cynic."

[@AllanHinde-mb2pr]

There is hope and then there is realism which has nothing to do with cynicism

[@patchworkpants]

The Union Jack profile pic coupled with the rise of authoritarian strongman grifters (Nigel Farage/Donald Trump/Marine LePen) and the nature of your response makes it likely that you are the exact type of cynic that is going to be complicit in the end of Western Democracy. I have hope that enough of you will realise what's happening before it's too late.

[@mrknarf4438]

"HumanKind: a Hopeful History" is a wonderful read for those that wish a more hopeful outlook on life. We're quite alright after all, and believing otherwise is a dangerous, self-fulfillinf prophecy. It's only wgen we get detached and alienated from one another (online, and with policies that affect a whole country instead of a local community, for example) that our worst comes out.

[@dmtdreamz7706]

To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all-such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.

[@linkinparkfan1197]

Well put; is this a quote from someone or a dmtdreamz7706 original?

[@incurableromantic4006]

The most cynical people are usually those who started out as trusting, open-hearted optimists: and then got mugged repeatedly by reality.

[@dmtdreamz7706]

@@linkinparkfan1197 It’s from the book As a Man Thinketh

[@linkinparkfan1197]

@@dmtdreamz7706 thank you

[@kwimms]

Christianity 101: LOVE ALL.

[@jaydubalyu986]

It’s a combination of keeping some hope and optimism while recognizing the REALITY of the situation. An excessive positive mental attitude ignores facets of the reality.

[@SteveO21M]

Trust the science. Safe and effective.

[@MiguelDeMarchena]

I always keep an eye out, always prepared for the worst situation possible but trying to get the best outcome in all cases that way if something goes wrong I am prepared and if it goes right I can celebrate with happiness. IRL pain is the best teacher and when you are smart enough you learn from the lessons learned by others. Besides mercury, lead, asbestos, microplastics and PFAS i have the wisdom acquired by surviving from myself and my mistakes during 52 years.

[@gulenayk1004]

2:21 Which study in 2019 ? I would like to learn the methodology

[@emmanuelweinman9673]

Being realistic and staying true to ourselves and others is the best. You get to live in the truly insane unreal miracle of reality while also seeing all the devilish details that lie in all of us. All the highest heavens and lowest hells exist within us all. Hallelujah ❤🙏🏼 🎉

[@nathanwhite7765]

And this is what you a call a false binary.

[@Dustin_the_wind]

It would seem that we found a similar pressure point; this was what I had to say to the premis of the pinned quote. I feel as if this is a logical fallacy, not truly accounting for the reason all of this is even up for debate. I thought it was nailed down when it was said, "behind every cynic, is a scorned idealist." While not addressing the root, it does leave the statement to expound on the reader. A confession? No, not at all. It just is; delude yourself all you will, but the fact remains as history shows. We're just pushing the rock up the hill anymore, and looking to blame anything but the cause.

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

"I don't believe in hope. Hope is a beggar. Hope walks through the fire, faith leaps over it." - Jim Carrey

[@ramseymansford2246]

Agreed. Any video that begins with this kind of argument should be viewed as no more than an entertaining thought experiment.

[@DudeNoEdge]

Found the cynic

[@f.prince6642]

Millennial checking in I think the term we go by is morbidly optimistic. Not a complete giving up on humanity, but a true understanding of how many people don’t care to learn anymore challenging yourself is always the hardest first step.

[@jonathanng2390]

While I always had little to no faith in Politicians & media... after COVID, I now have little to no faith in: Doctors Scientists Neighbors Friends Family

[@PoopTossinApe]

Right?! Imagine being hopeful and optimistic hiding in an attic in 1930s Germany.

[@benhines6307]

The indicators for deception were all present when it was rolled out. A little research is all that was necessary to confirm the suspicion. The protagonists are doing their best to bury the evidence and make the research more difficult, but it's too late for the minority who were skeptical from the beginning. Unfortunately, the majority trust the tools of deception or are too pre-occupied with life to consider the possibility.

[@HoboGardenerBen]

People can be crazy about one thing but cool about another thing. We all contain multitudes of contradictory core beliefs. It's amazing we get anything done at all with all the chaos monkey rambling happening inside each of us, but we do. We suck and we're great, one doesn't negate the other.

[@waxedhands4199]

BINGO

[@kwimms]

@@HoboGardenerBen Does if the number of sucky ones is greater than the greats.

[@LeoAtTheDoor]

In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That’s the meaning of inner strength. Loved the artistic mention to uncle iroh there ❤ 🫖 🍵

[@ephraimwinslow]

Ya ever get the feeling that 90 odd percent of people who preach positivity in a professional capacity are essentially monetizing hope itself, irrespective of whether it's false or not?

[@Baptized_in_Fire.]

Yup

[@AfterSkool]

Could this be said of anyone who makes money preaching anything? It appears that selling outrage is more profitable these days.

[@ephraimwinslow]

@@AfterSkool Could be said? Sure. Said *accurately* though? Dubious. People are always going to prefer being told what they want to hear over what they don't, and arguing against cynicism itself is a hop a skip and a jump away from advocating for complacency. Which is why so many tyrants are so superficially positive. They *love* people who don't suspect their motives (or are too over socialised to ever dare question them openly).

[@secretgoldfish]

just look at the shameless grift and cult of life-coaching!

[@Poocher77]

Isn't anybody preaching something in a professional capacity attempting to monetize that thing for themselves as it is being done professionally?

[@Atomicbubble1]

It’s about healthy discernment. We need a balance of cynicism and optimism in order to live in this world. But yes, society and media have glorified being in the “we’re doomed” camp, when it’s only hurting those thinking that way.

[@yourhuckleberry6757]

2:30 minutes in... Cynicism is called doomscrolling now... Our society was based on not trusting the government. I live in the "show me state".. Tired of the gaslighting

[@G1Joe]

“If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, that there are opportunities to change things, then there is a possibility that you can contribute to making a better world.” ― Noam Chomsky

[@azamutu1413]

Growing up I watched optimists get their worlds crushed when they were forced from the comfort of their organically high trust homogenous communities into those with artificial low/no trust diversity.

[@ronniesamaroo1775]

Can you elaborate on this observation?

[@Joshy2-SF]

It requires one to understand how to build healthy relationships with others; through self-knowledge and other-knowledge. The more toxic someone is; the stronger your boundaries need to be.

[@TGIDante]

Ignorance is bliss

[@AfterSkool]

until it's not

[@TGIDante]

@@AfterSkool Exactly. Ignorant hope leads to a harsh reality more often than not. If we fail to recognize the negative aspects of life, and address them we will definitely find ourselves in a hopeless situation. It is part of the innate human psyche to err on the side of caution as an act of self-preservation. Not doing so leaves us open to a harsh realization. While there is hope to be had it mostly comes from actions against hopeless living conditions rather than simply hoping itself. Thus realizing and acknowledging the negative is a must to get to that hopeful point of existence.

[@ezekielduran4386]

Such a brilliant presentation. I think the entire concept should be intuitive and easily understood, yet that defines myself... I am the hopeful skeptic... For better or for worse, but I believe for the better... Always...

[@G1Joe]

Forgiveness Understanding Compassion Kindness Empathy Respect

[@GrayShark09]

And are we supposed to read only the first letter of each word? 😅🤣

[@GrayShark09]

Well played!

[@genteka5106]

Thank you for the content ❤

[@Wuwei72-o5n]

Never Trust

[@atthis8142]

It is strange, I ask for help with these problems of the mind and often this channel comes to answer. Please continue with these thoughtful videos!

[@TheGameChallenger]

Ben and Andy kinda look like Spongebob and Squidward if they were human lol

[@Lark572]

Best channel on the internet

[@joemoore1998]

3:45 is so ironic 😂 “Cynics assume they already know everything about people” while you assume you know everything about people who are cynical

[@Swooop920]

Keep trusting Governments and institutions, see what happens….

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

This 100%. Great White Shark Replacement here we come! Weimarica where small hats pay money for yo kiddies.

[@BaronCreel]

No, no you see if you smile and act happy you manifest yourself into an alternate reality where things are good again. Back to the Berenstein universe!/s

[@Swooop920]

@@BaronCreel But i am happy Doesn’t mean i trust my Government and its institutions…

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

@Swooop920 Oh noez, censorbots hid my comment, guess I have too much of a negative attitude and/or wrote the truth.

[@LazloHo]

Keep doing nothing about it, because you believe nothing can change, and see what happens. Whether you believe you can do something, or you can't, you're right.

[@5thDimensionSquad]

I love watching your videos! Always gain useful insights and knowledge & I am always so amazed with how well you illustrate, I love how you draw what you are talking about, you’re the illustration genius!

[@alexspec1772]

This was completely refuted in the past 4 years.

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

Yeah, the herd morality is strong in them.

[@WalkinginDivineHealth]

Hold onto hope. There is nothing in this world that can't be solved by love.

[@deljay1840]

Maybe the problem was the indigenous natives didn't think positive enough about the intents of the conquistadors and colonizers

[@steemlenn8797]

Nah. It was the conquistadores who failed to believe that they would get everything without violence.

[@kwimms]

@@steemlenn8797 Were you there? Or did you just see pictures in a book... you so smart!

[@LATEXXJUGGERNUT]

Thank Phuck there are comments like these around, the delusionally optimistic stance is dangerous to oneself.

[@BaronCreel]

They didn't smile hard enough and ask "can I get you anything?" enough times.

[@Earl_E_Burd]

People in Gaza, too. I see them in front of the wreckage on camera being all cynical. Well there's ur problem right there.

[@roberttony001]

The more intellectually capable you are, the greater the requirement for you to contribute to the greater good, even over your own needs because you factually do know better and thus are far more quantum consciously liable for negative life acts, including those you allow others to commit without resisting them, the greater the life burden you have because you do know better.

[@Phanie0687]

The SpongeBob references honestly helped me grasp this 👍

[@nolansutherland3502]

Great video, everyone needs to hear this. Thank you