There are three words in the English dictionary that bring on a gut-wrenching reaction in my body these days… because I see all around me the results that the meanings of these words have wrought…

The first word is APATHY… its meaning: absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement… having lack of interest or concern.

The second one is SKEPTICISM… its meaning: a skeptical attitude of doubt as to the truth of something.

And, finally, CYNICISM… part of a defensive posture taken to protect one’s self, typically triggered when one feels hurt by or angry at something; and instead of dealing with those emotions directly, one allows them to fester and skew his or her outlook.

Clearly, withdrawing from our world, leaving it up to “the other guy” will not change anything… in fact it is the act of giving consent to those who are leading the charge against kindness, compassion, and cooperation to make this a better and safer world.

This poem almost wrote itself, once I put pencil to paper. I feel so strongly that we must actually care about where the conditions of our world are going. Caring means getting involved, and acting, and being a part of things, not just standing around, observing and criticizing, and wishing things were different, or better, somehow.

CYNICISM

When you come right down to it, cynicism is fear,
Or maybe something worse, like being disengaged.
Cynicism is judgment of the very worst kind:
It’s judgment without all the facts, then becoming outraged.

A strong movement of cynicism is sweeping our nation.
People trust the systems that are in place less and less.
Now, granted, we’ve been lied to, but that’s nothing new.
Do you make the effort to learn the truth, or simply acquiesce.

Cynicism kills the joy. It’s a toxic spiritual state.
It can masquerade as wisdom, but becomes fatalistic.
Cynics may have the loudest voice, but will accomplish the least.
They’ve given up the cause, no longer optimistic.

Cynics will reject the world as they see it
Because they’re afraid it will hurt or disappoint.
Cynicism acts as a shell to protect that little part
That tries to live inside them — the more hopeful viewpoint.

Cynicism is an obstacle to social evolution.
It’s a self-imposed blindness to a more positive outlook.
Norman Cousins called it “intellectual treason.”
(A world peace advocate, Cousins authored many books.)

There are two main emotions that drive all our decisions:
They are EITHER love OR fear; that’s a remarkably large split!
It seems to have come down to one or the other
With no give and take, and no benefit.

With fear there’s anxiety, jealousy and anger;
There’s cynicism, too… much unhappiness!
But with love there’s joy and gratitude,
Compassion, creative thinking and above all, kindness.

We can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion
As effectively as we can by bombs.
It’s self-defeating, but when shared by many,
We carry fear and hate to our tombs.

When optimism and hard work triumph over cynicism
It’s a time for joyous celebrations.
Optimism is hard, and being part of the solution is harder,
But it’s the only thing worth doing for ourselves and our nations.