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Dear Cynics: When did you become cynical?

I became cynical

  • At birth

    Votes: 4 9.3%
  • During childhood

    Votes: 12 27.9%
  • In my teenage years

    Votes: 15 34.9%
  • In adulthood (18+)

    Votes: 12 27.9%

  • Total voters
    43

Giggly

No moss growing on me
Joined
Jun 12, 2008
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sx/so
Anonymous poll.

Feel free to elaborate more if you wish but it's not required.
 

Matt_s

New member
Joined
May 18, 2011
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77
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INFP
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4w5
Tough to say. I can't really put my finger on my first moment of cynicism. I don't remember not having cynicism but I can definitely identify relationships and wrong turns that increased it exponentially. If I had to pick a date, I'd say seventh grade. There wasn't a particular event so much as I just turned to the snark side. Perhaps that was just when the battle lines were drawn between the joiners and everybody else.

Hopefully, I peaked a couple of years ago. Still feels like I'm faking it when I'm forcing myself to be open and enthusiastic. Something I'm working on.
 

Giggly

No moss growing on me
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Tough to say. I can't really put my finger on my first moment of cynicism. I don't remember not having cynicism but I can definitely identify relationships and wrong turns that increased it exponentially. If I had to pick a date, I'd say seventh grade. There wasn't a particular event so much as I turned to the snark side. Perhaps that was just when the battle lines were drawn between the joiners and everybody else.

Hopefully, I peaked a couple of years ago. Still feels like I'm faking it when I'm forcing myself to be open and enthusiastic. Something I'm working on.

What age are you earliest memories?
 

Matt_s

New member
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May 18, 2011
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What age are you earliest memories?

I have snapshots of preschool. I remember a world-weariness that I would identify as more of a predecessor to cynicism than the genuine article. Perhaps my cynicism is just a different reaction to this world-weariness than an evolution of it. I guess you need less armor when you fingerpaint for a living.
 

Rail Tracer

Freaking Ratchet
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
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3,031
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sx/so
My transition from elementary school to middle school. So, early teenage years.

I'm still idealistic in nature, but that cynicism comes along with it.
 

Tiltyred

New member
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Dec 1, 2008
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I started getting depressed in middle school, but I wasn't really cynical until around 45.
 

chickpea

perfect person
Joined
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sp/sx
probably when i was 11 or 12. i think i've become a little less cynical since then actually.
 

Orangey

Blah
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
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ESTP
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6w5
Since childhood, when I realized that most people are stupid, but that I liked and wanted to be liked by them all the same.
 

wildcat

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
3,622
MBTI Type
INTP
Since childhood, when I realized that most people are stupid, but that I liked and wanted to be liked by them all the same.

Kissinger liked Nixon and wanted to be liked by Nixon.
But he could not be Nixon. :wink:
 

Patches

Klingon Warrior Princess
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
5,505
It is a product of years of training and advice from my ENTJ mother.
 

KDude

New member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
8,243
Maybe that first time I heard Rob Base's "It Takes Two" at a school picnic, sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone do the "Running Man", and thinking everyone was an idiot. Life keeps repeating itself like this.
 

Andy

Supreme High Commander
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
1,211
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5w6
I think I might have been born a cynic. I never believed in Santa claus, the tooth fairy or all the other things kids are supposed to. Also I was a very mistrustful child, inclined to avoid people I didn't know.
 

Rasofy

royal member
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
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Tennage years. Would probably be earlier in a better environment. I feel like I've been stuck in a Ti-Si loop for most of my life. I was more alike a broken ISTJ.
 

rav3n

.
Joined
Aug 6, 2010
Messages
11,655
Can't say I'm completely cynical but when it comes to people, it's rare that people don't meet my worst expectations of them.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
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I'm merely skeptical; I hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Sometimes the worst doesn't happen; typically it's somewhere in-between.

...Meh, I guess I don't belong here.
 

Xenon

(blankpages)
Joined
Oct 5, 2009
Messages
832
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INTP
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I don't know if I'd qualify. I don't consider myself all that cynical, although other people have called me that. I have certain beliefs and attitudes that some people label as 'cynical' (for example, thinking people are often motivated by their own self-interest, or believing a lot of cliche feel-goodisms like 'everything happens for a reason' are crap). But I don't exactly sit around moping as a result, stewing about how the world is a dark and dreary place and everything anyone does is pointless. These thoughts don't even seem that bad to me...the world isn't paradise and people aren't angels, but I can accept that.

So I guess it depends on what you consider 'cynical'.
 

entropie

Permabanned
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
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I dont become cynic before 2 glasses of Havannah Club Rum
 
N

NPcomplete

Guest
II don't know since when I've been cynical but I suspect it may have something to do with kids in my class in primary school insisting that "the sun is obviously a planet, what are you talking about?" Seeing people getting away with a lot, later on, reinforced that.

With time, however, I found that cynicism, although easier to adopt, made me question the point of everything and most importantly, was making me miserable. Staying somewhat idealistic, on the other hand, made me happy, not for the [disappointing] others but for myself.

In short, nowadays I dwell on the fine line between cynicism and idealism.
 

Andy

Supreme High Commander
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
1,211
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INTJ
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I'm merely skeptical; I hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Sometimes the worst doesn't happen; typically it's somewhere in-between.

...Meh, I guess I don't belong here.

Well get the hell out then! :dalek:
 
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